Wedding Charade
by Jade Symphony
Summary: Draco's been roped into pretending to be dating Hermione as well as a groomsman for Ron and Luna's wedding. But things get complicated when they secretly develop real feelings for each other. And what do they do about their exes? Not book 7 compliant.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize from the _Harry Potter_ books (or movie) belongs to me!

* * *

It had been a difficult morning at the Ministry and an even more difficult afternoon back at the office. His lunchtime conference floo call had taken longer than expected and he had been late for a meeting with his marketing team, who had just flown back from France after meeting with some investors. The group would be heading to Japan next and needed instructions from him first before they could depart. In addition to all of the meetings, he still had a full day's work ahead of him to complete before he could return home.

So by seven this evening, Draco Malfoy was tired and hungry, having had toast for breakfast and just tea for lunch. So why he was at The Quarter Note, a jazz bar near Diagon Alley, instead of on his way to dinner with a beautiful companion was a question he kept asking himself over and over again. He silently cursed his sometimes overly developed sense of familial duty and waited impatiently as 7:15 had come and gone.

Narcissa, Draco's mother, had called him this evening as he left the office of Malfoy Investments to inform him that she needed him to meet with Phillip Swinton at The Quarter Note at 7:15 this evening to pick up a contract.

Apparently, Swinton's niece was getting married in a few months and he had hired Narcissa to take over the wedding planning after the previous planner was fired for her incompetence. Swinton and Narcissa's schedules were packed and the only time Swinton had available was this evening. The Quarter Note was his establishment and he spent most Thursdays at the club to check on business.

After Lucius' death in the War five years ago, Narcissa Malfoy had become an active member of Wizarding society and was now a renowned hostess. She turned her ability to put together an elegant fete into a part-time business, and her refinement, connections, and taste for quality was unmatched. She now had a long waiting list for her services, so it was only Swinton's connections as an old family friend that gave him an opportunity to bypass this waiting list.

If Swinton didn't arrive soon, though, Draco would have some words to say, regardless of how close Swinton was to Draco's mother. He checked the clock on the back wall again and saw that he had another ten minutes to go. Draco had decided to give Swinton until 7:45 to arrive before he was leaving. A rush of the cold temperatures outside rushed through the room briefly, indicating that the front door had been opened. Draco glanced up quickly in hopes that Phillip had arrived. No such luck. Ginny Weasley was there instead in full evening garb. A white blossom clipped her hair up on one side and peaking through her dark cloak was a red silk wraparound dress that presumably emphasized her trim figure. She was met by the host, a taller gentleman about Draco's height, who was in his early 30s with thin dark hair pulled back from his dark face.

"Sorry I'm late, there was this carriage accident and I couldn't get through," Ginny said in low tones.

"You're lucky Mr. Swinton is late, too. You'd better hurry up and get on stage before he arrives, though," the host was saying. He took her cloak and hurried her further inside.

"Thanks Nate, I owe you one," Ginny said in relief. She rushed behind a heavy, dark green curtain that presumably lead to the backstage area.

Draco was surprised. He didn't know that she worked here. He recalled hearing that she had joined the choir back in their Hogwarts days, so he knew she could sing. However, he also knew that she later married Harry Potter, who was a bit possessive with his wife. Her dramatic red hair, fit figure, and easy confidence made her quite popular with the male species, and he didn't think Potter would have easily agreed to his wife's profession. Of course, with the red Weasley hair also came the famous Weasley temper. So if there was an argument, it was obvious which party had won.

The door opened again, and again Draco's hopes were dashed. Instead of Swinton entering the club, it was Potter and his sidekick at the door. He really shouldn't have been surprised that Potter would be here. Naturally if his wife was singing, he'd make sure he was present as well to keep his wife's admirers at bay. And where Potter went, the Weasel went too.

"Glad to finally be out of that cold air," Ron Weasley was saying. He brushed some snow off of his coat while Potter greeted Nate the host.

"Welcome, gentlemen. Mrs. Weasley-Potter is already backstage preparing. Would you like your usual table?" Nate greeted formally. He obviously took his job quite seriously.

"Good to see you, Nate," Harry returned.

"Let's stop for a drink first before we head out to the table," Ron suggested.

Harry agreed and they both headed towards the bar as Nate had their usual table prepared.

Draco hoped that they wouldn't come to his end of the bar. He had had a long day and wasn't up for a confrontation with the Griffindor duo. He wished that Swinton would get here soon, but with the way his day was going, Draco wouldn't be surprised if Swinton had gotten caught in the same carriage accident traffic that Ginny Weasley had mentioned earlier.

They sat a few stools down from him, so Draco turned his body three-quarters of the way away from them and kept his head down as he faced partially towards the front door. He nursed his drink and signaled for another one after Potter and Weasley had ordered their drinks.

"Nasty weather we're having. Do you think the game will be cancelled tomorrow?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged. "Doubt it. But I'm hoping that they do. Gin and I start our vacation after the game and if it gets cancelled, we can head off early and Lee Jordan can take over for me announcing the game."

"Luna's still offering to take over for you, so don't bring up Lee Jordan's name around her just yet," Ron advised.

Harry snickered. "It won't happen anyway. She's been banned from announcing anymore professional quidditch games this season after that disastrous one she did a few months back for the Cannons."

"Yeah, don't mention that either. I still get in trouble for that one," Ron winced. "Honestly, it wasn't my fault."

"I told you to wait until after the game to propose. If you did she wouldn't have gotten distracted from the game." Harry chuckled.

Draco rolled his eyes. He remembered that game. Her shower of red and gold heart-shaped snitches throughout the field and stands in honor of her newly engaged status during the middle of the game had caused a riot and the game had to be temporarily postponed until someone could get rid of all the extra snitches. Whenever someone tried to catch one, though, the stupid things would burst into song about the magic of love. So within minutes, hundreds of singing snitches filled the air. To top it off, she added bludger-shaped balloons that exploded upon contact and covered the crowd and field in a deluge of muggle confetti. No one was very happy with her at the moment.

"Well 'Mione thought it was a sweet gesture," Ron defended.

"She also said it would have been more practical to only shower them in the stands so that the players wouldn't have been as confused," Harry pointed out.

Ron sighed. "Doesn't matter anyway. People still give me dirty looks on the street." Harry couldn't help but laugh at that. Before Harry could reply, a voice was heard announcing Ginny onto the stage.

"Welcome to The Quarter Note," Ginny greeted. She announced her first song and started off a cappella before the house band joined her.

Draco had to admit that she had a very nice voice. It occurred to him that he might want to mention that to his mother, who was always looking for new talent for her various soirees and clients. Ron and Harry hurried to their table at this point, so Draco felt that it was safe to turn back around. They wouldn't be looking in his direction now anyway.

The door opened for a third time, and luckily, it was Phillip Swinton at the door. "Nasty weather," he said to Nate the host as he entered. "They see a little snow and suddenly no one knows how to drive," he complained.

"Your guest is here, sir. A Draco Malfoy is sitting at the bar," Nate informed him.

"You didn't show him to a table?" Phillip reprimanded.

"He preferred to sit at the bar instead," Nate explained. Swinton nodded and handed his coat to Nate before he approached the bar.

"Malfoy, good to see you," Phillip greeted.

"A nice place you have here, Swinton," Draco greeted as they shook hands. At five feet ten inches, Swinton was just shy of six feet and some inches shorter than Draco himself, but his presence was so imposing, most people thought he was much taller than his actual height.

"I have Narcissa's contract here. How is your mother?" Phillip pulled out a scroll of paper that expanded to its regular size after he removed it from his pocket.

"She's well and sends her regards. Mother had company for dinner tonight and apologizes that she couldn't meet you herself," Draco replied.

"In this weather, it's good that she didn't venture out. Tell her that I appreciate that she's doing this for me. You're welcome to stay for the entertainment, of course. Ginny Weasley-Potter has a good repertoire of songs, if you have a request."

"I think I'll take a rain check, but thank you. She has an amazing voice. In fact, I was thinking of mentioning her to mother." Draco replied.

"That's a wonderful idea. If she wasn't going to be in my niece's wedding party, I would have wanted her to perform at the ceremony."

"She may still be able to sing at the reception," Draco suggested.

"If Luna doesn't keep her busy running around. But I trust your mother's judgment. Whatever she decides is fine," Phillip said.

Draco tried to hide his surprise. "Luna?"

"Yes, Luna Lovegood. Her father owns that nasty newspaper. But she's still family and my favorite niece. I wanted her to have the best, and your mother is clearly the best." Swinton's sharp features softened when he talked of his niece, so Draco made a note to be careful about any comments he made in the future in the man's presence.

"I'll tell her you said so," Draco responded. Wait until he told his mother that she was in charge of a Lovegood-Weasley wedding. He looked forward to witnessing her reaction.

"Your mother needs no compliments from me. I believe my niece will be arriving shortly if you would like an introduction," Phillip mentioned.

"We ran in different circles then, but I recall her from our Hogwarts days. Well, I hoped to stay longer, but I have dinner reservations," Draco lied smoothly.

"Well, give my regards to your mother. And you are both welcome as my guests any time you'd like here at The Quarter Note," Swinton offered.

"I may take you up on that, thank you." Draco and Phillip shook hands again. He put the contract in his pocket and handed his ticket to Nate to pick up his coat.

As he waited for Nate to return from the cloak room, the door opened again and Luna Lovegood appeared at the door. Luna beamed upon seeing him and approached. "Draco Malfoy, just the man I wanted to see!"

Surprised at that, Draco nodded shortly and murmured, "Lovegood," in reply.

"You must be waiting for Hermione," Luna said. "She didn't tell me you would be joining us."

"What?" Draco asked, bewildered.

Just then, the door opened again and Hermione Granger appeared.

"Hermione, you didn't mention your boyfriend would be joining us," Luna greeted sunnily.

"Did you just say boyfriend?" Draco asked blankly.

Hermione looked up, saw Luna and Draco together, and paled. "Oh no…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the _Harry Potter _books or movies is not mine!**

* * *

Hermione laughed uncomfortably, shifting from one foot to the other. "Luna, I told you, he's not my boyfriend. I never said it was Draco Malfoy I was dating." 

"Dating?" Draco still hadn't quite recovered from Lovegood's announcement that he and Hermione were apparently an item. Nate returned with his coat just then, and Draco put it on without thinking as Nate left again to assist another patron.

Luna looked bewildered. "Really? But didn't you tell me just last night that you and Draco had-"

Hermione rushed to interrupt her, now blushing furiously. "Luna! Why don't you join the boys at the table? I'll be right there."

Luna looked back and from Draco and Hermione and smiled mysteriously. "Of course. I'll distract Ron and Harry to give you two some time alone." She actually winked before she departed. Draco was still speechless.

Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't say anything further until Luna had left hearing distance. "Malfoy, it's not what you think. I mean, it's _Luna_, right?" She laughed again a little nervously. "You know, I tell her something and she interprets it the way she wants to."

Draco just stared at her for a bit before he leaned back and rested an arm against the heavy wooden host's podium behind him. "So you've been talking about me? Must be wishful thinking on your part." The trademark Malfoy smirk made an appearance.

Hermione pursed her lips in annoyance. "And here I thought we might be able to have a sensible adult conversation."

"You'd better be nice to me. My mother's doing your friend's wedding after all."

"What?" Hermione snapped.

"Didn't you hear? Dear Uncle Phillip has hired my mother to plan the wedding. My mother's the best in the business. But if you'd rather go with someone else at this late date, just keep talking."

"That can't be right. We left a meeting with Luna's wedding planner just a few days ago and everything is all set," Hermione insisted. "You must have heard wrong.

"I've got the contract right here." Draco whipped out the contract as proof, and Hermione was quick to snatch it from his grip.

"This can't be right!" Hermione said, upset on her friends' behalf. "Why would he do something like this without telling them? Wait a minute, he's not even the one paying for the wedding planner. How can he even fire her?"

Now Draco was mildly annoyed. "I don't see what the problem is. My mother's a serious upgrade from whatever you hired. And she can get the job done even with the small amount of time she has to plan the wedding."

"Your mother probably has very nice taste. But her idea of style will definitely clash with Luna's. And this is Ron and Luna's day. They should have whatever they want, not someone else's idea of what they should want."

Draco snatched the contract back from Hermione's hands. "It's not your decision."

A cute waitress passed by just then and flashed him a very 'friendly' smile. "You seem a little tense, sir. We at The Quarter Note pride on our ability to please the customer. Is there anything I can help you with?" She nearly pushed Hermione aside in her eagerness to practically breathe the same air as Malfoy.

Hermione was outraged. She was a loyal customer here at The Quarter Note and recalled tipping generously in the past. Perhaps she should rethink that act of kindness…

Draco gave her a thorough examination from head to toe and flashed her a truly charming smile. Hermione blinked. She had no idea he had any other expression but that smirk that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face. "I don't know. I _am _feeling a little tense."

The girl's smile widened. "I leave at nine tonight."

"And he leaves now. Oh, what a shame," Hermione interceded angrily. After all, she didn't like being ignored.

The waitress finally noticed her at this point. Her expression of annoyance turned to shock. "Hermione! Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!" She looked truly upset.

Hermione sighed. "It's fine. Natalie, meet Draco Malfoy." Draco flashed her another smile.

Natalie gasped. "Draco Malfoy? Hermione, I'm so sorry! If I'd known that was your boyfriend, I would never have imposed."

Draco saw his potential for a date tonight go up in flames. "Granger, how many people have you told that we were dating?" He asked Hermione in annoyance.

"Just Luna, I swear," Hermione insisted.

"Is something wrong?" Natalie asked, concerned.

"Natalie, we're not dating," Draco clarified.

"Well I know _we _aren't. I'm talking about you and Hermione," Natalie replied. Draco just stared at her.

"No Natalie, that's not what he meant. He means him and me. Not you and him," Hermione tried to explain.

She merely gave her a blank look. "Right. You and Draco. Not _me_ and Draco." She spoke carefully as though Hermione was a little slow. She even added hand gestures to prove her point. "I know I'm not dating Draco. You are."

"This isn't working," Draco replied tightly. "Now she's going to tell people you and I are together."

"What, is it some sort of secret?" Natalie looked a little confused.

"Yes!" Hermione latched on to the idea. "That's it exactly. It's just between us. And you can't tell anybody! NO one can know!"

"That's just what I thought," Luna beamed. "Ron, didn't I tell you they were dating?"

Hermione closed her eyes briefly in frustration before she turned around. Harry gave her a look of disbelief, and Ron was turning red.

"Luna, it must be a mistake. I'm sure Hermione has better taste than that," Harry said in a tightly controlled voice.

"Potty, Weasel," Draco greeted. He had a hand on the door to leave, but stopped upon hearing Luna's voice.

Ron's hands were clenched into fists. "Stop calling us that, you Ferret!"

"Now look who's doing the name-calling," Draco returned. "So juvenile."

"Ron, stop it. That's Hermione's boyfriend you're insulting. I think you should apologize," Luna insisted.

"Why should he?" Harry spoke. "It's just Malfoy."

"Because he is to be Hermione's escort at our wedding, and I want a peaceful wedding," Luna replied calmly.

"Escort?" Draco repeated.

"There's no way he's going to be anywhere near my wedding!" Ron nearly shouted.

"It's my wedding too, and I want Hermione's boyfriend to be welcome!" Luna now looked upset.

"I told you, he's not my boyfriend," Hermione added.

"Hermione's it ok. The secret's out. We all know now," Luna said between sniffles.

"Aw, Luna, I didn't mean it like that. It's just, there's gotta be a mistake. Hermione wouldn't go out with a git like that. Even her last boyfriend is better than that a rat like Malfoy."

"Hey, Clint was a perfect gentleman. And you have no say in who I do or don't date!" Hermione defended. Ron snorted at that. Hermione gave him another glare.

"But like you said, Malfoy's not your boyfriend. Isn't that right, Hermione?" Harry asked calmly.

"Of course she'd tell you that, with they way you two are acting!" Luna said, upset. "You've never liked any of her boyfriends. No one's good enough for Hermione! Well Ron, who is it you really want to marry?"

"Luna, my dear, is something wrong?" Phillip Swinton approached the crowd hovering at the door. He put an arm around his niece's shoulder. "Natalie, get back to work." She left the party, still a little confused.

"Oh uncle! Ron won't let Draco be in our wedding! He's Hermione's boyfriend and he should be welcome!" Luna was crying now. "I just know Ron's still got feelings for her!"

"Now, now, I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding," he soothed. Swinton glared at Ron as he tried to comfort Luna. "All of you, follow me back to my office so we can straighten this out. You, too, Draco," he ordered.

Draco glowered at Hermione for getting him into this mess as he moved to follow Swinton to the back. Harry grabbed his arm first and pulled him to the side. "Stay away from Hermione! She wouldn't go out with a swine like you!"

Draco pulled his arm from Potter's grasp. "It's none of your business who I date," he said icily. "So stay out of it!"

"Hermione is my business!"

"She's a grown witch and can make her own decisions." Draco smirked. "Or are you jealous? What would Ginny say?"

"Don't talk about my wife!" Harry moved to grab Draco and shove him against the wall, but Hermione reached them both in time.

"Boys, this is just a misunderstanding, please let's just go to Mr. Swinton's office and straighten things out," Hermione pleaded.

Harry looked at her in disbelief. "Taking his side now, are we?" He jerked himself away from the both of them and headed towards the office in anger.

Hurt, Hermione watched him leave. Draco approached her from behind. "Nice friends you've got there."

Hermione rounded on him. "Don't talk about Harry and Ron that way!"

"What kind of friends jump to conclusions like that without all the facts? You can call me arrogant and elitist, but at least my friends know what loyalty to friends is all about," Draco said in disgust.

"They're just trying to protect me," Hermione said in a small voice.

"You're not a little girl anymore, and they're not your father," Draco told her. Hermione didn't say anything.

"Draco, Miss Granger. You coming?" Phillip asked from the doorway. Hermione rushed to enter and Draco followed behind her.

Phillip closed his office door and transfigured additional seating. "Now, let's get this straightened out."

Luna was still sniffling, while Ron was trying to comfort her. She kept jerking away, though, when Ron tried to grab her hand. Giving up temporarily, Ron turned towards Phillip instead. "Mr. Swinton, I swear I don't have feelings for Hermione like that! It's Luna I want to marry."

"Ron's right, sir. We're just friends. He's just being a protective brother," Hermione added.

"He's not your brother," Draco insisted.

"Quiet, Malfoy. We don't need to hear anything from you," Harry declared.

"Enough! You are all acting like children." Swinton hollered before Draco could respond with a biting comment of his own. "Now I want to hear what everyone has to say."

"I just want a nice wedding. Hermione is going to be my bridesmaid and it's only right that her boyfriend be her escort," Luna said. "With the way Hermione talks about him, she obviously has feelings for him, so he can't be all that bad."

Draco looked to Hermione for confirmation of this news, and she only looked away, blushing. "It's not like that. You just misinterpreted. He's not my boyfriend," Hermione said, embarrassed. Harry gave a satisfied nod and Ron was still miserable about making Luna upset. Draco frowned. He noticed that Hermione still hadn't looked up at anyone in the room.

"Then why did you bring him up?" Luna asked, bewildered.

Hermione looked away, obviously uncomfortable. Draco's frown deepened. He didn't like the direction this conversation was heading. "Well, you and Ron are getting married and Ginny's got Harry, and I didn't want you to think-"

"Gr-Hermione, I can't let you do this," Draco interrupted. Hermione looked up at him, misery evident on her face. Draco turned to Swinton. "Phillip, it's still early stages yet in our relationship and I didn't want her to say anything yet. Hermione is trying to abide by my wishes to keep our relationship private until we get to know each other better," Draco interrupted. "Things just got a little confused because she wasn't expecting to see me here at the club."

"What?" Harry didn't look like he believed them.

Luna looked up, smiling. "So you two _are_ dating?"

Draco turned to look at Hermione who still seemed confused by Draco's actions. "Yes," he said resolutely. "But like I said, we haven't been dating long."

Ron's face seemed to soften as he finally noticed Hermione's mixed range of emotions, from hurt and embarrassment to surprise and even some admiration for Malfoy. "Hermione. If you want Malfoy to escort you in our wedding, it's fine by me," he said gruffly. Luna beamed at him and grasped his hand. Smiling, Ron wove their fingers together.

Still angry, Harry stalked out of the room. Out of courtesy to Swinton, who was still his wife's employer, he didn't slam the door shut.

"This is wonderful news! I can't wait for the wedding," Luna exclaimed in glee. "My Dad told me of this ancient tradition started by the Flying Troofle Tribe and now we've got enough people to do it!"

"Er, Luna, we agreed to make wedding decisions together…" Ron added hesitantly.

"But we don't have much time. It takes at least two months to grow all of the horn-shaped ears and if we don't do it in the right temperatures, they're not edible," Luna explained.

"I am _not_ eating any ears!" Draco yelled.

Luna bit her lip and finally relented. "Well, I don't think Dad has enough slugs for the moonlight planting anyway." Draco was relieved.

"Speaking of weddings, I wanted to surprise you, my dear. I have enlisted the services of Narcissa Malfoy to plan your wedding. You mentioned once that you would love to have her aid, so I made a call," Phillip informed her kindly.

"Really? Mal-er-_Draco_ was telling me that, but I didn't believe him," Hermione admitted.

"Oh yes. She has a great reputation for giving the client what they want, but with style. But her schedule's so crammed, I didn't think I had a chance of even setting an appointment with her. Oh thank you uncle!" Luna launched herself into his arms as Swinton laughed.

"It's no problem, Luna. Consider it an engagement present." Luna hugged him again and Ron looked relieved that he wouldn't have to pay for Narcissa Malfoy's services himself.

"Well, now that that's straightened out, let's go back to enjoy Ginny's singing," Swinton suggested. "Oh, Draco. You said you had some dinner plans?"

"Yes, er, with a client. Hermione, I'll see you later?" Draco said.

Hermione blushed. "I'll walk you out." Ron looked at the two of them and finally nodded before joining his fiancée and Swinton out of the office. Once they were alone, Hermione looked up at Draco again, but she couldn't read his expression. "Um, thank you for that."

"Don't mention it. I'll keep up the charade until the wedding, but you need to stand up to your friends," Draco advised.

Hermione nodded, grateful. "I'll just walk you to the door. They'll expect me to."

They walked in silence to the front door. Everyone at the table except Harry watched them at the door. Even Ginny glanced their way, curious. "So, I'll see you later?" Hermione asked.

Draco nodded. They stood there briefly in silence until Draco spoke up on impulse. "Actually, why don't you join me for dinner? We can plan our story."

"But what about your dinner appointment with your client?" Hermione asked. She ignored the way her heart skipped a beat at the thought of having dinner with him. There was no reason for him to know about her little crush.

"It was a lie to get out of here. Just tell them I plan to reschedule the meeting to have dinner with you," he drawled.

"Ok, I guess I'll be right back." Hermione headed toward her friends' table as Draco waited for her at the door.

"Guys, um, I'm going with Draco to dinner. He's decided to cancel his business dinner so we can talk." Hermione was nervous as she informed them. She studiously avoided looking in Harry's direction.

Luna smiled. "I'll tell Ginny. Have a good time, Hermione!"

Hermione returned the smile gratefully. "Thanks, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Hey 'Mione. Just be careful with the guy, all right?" Ron said as she turned to leave. Hermione gave him a small smile and nodded.

Hermione returned to Draco's side. She let out a big sigh and told him that she was ready. Draco silently opened the door for her and she ducked under his arm to leave. She nearly jumped as she felt his warm fingers at the small of her back as he escorted her out the door.

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**Author's Note: So glad you liked the first chapter. I hope you liked this one, too. **


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from the _Harry Potter_ books or movies belongs to me!_

* * *

Draco and Hermione were a few feet away from The Quarter Note's entrance by now when Draco stopped abruptly. "Anywhere you want to go?" Draco offered politely.

Hermione shrugged. "Anywhere is fine with me." She was nervous and didn't think she could eat a bite anyway.

Draco looked around, trying to think of a safe restaurant for the two of them. He had originally planned to eat at the Sea Cliff Hotel located in a new area of Wizarding London, but he feared it might be a little too intimate for the kind of business meeting that he and Granger were going to have.

"Did you want a sit-down dinner or something more casual?" Hermione asked.

Draco shrugged. He was hungry and they were wasting time trying to think of good neutral zones, so he decided to take her to the hotel anyway. "We're going to the Sea Cliff," he decided.

"You mean the boutique hotel? Why there?" Hermione was curious. That was one of the last places she expected him to suggest. "There's always the Leaky Cauldron," she offered. That was a good spot. It was something casual, and best of all, a place she was familiar with so would feel more comfortable in her surroundings.

Draco glanced her way. "Never dined in a nice place before, Granger? Don't worry. Just follow my lead and you won't embarrass yourself."

She shot him another glare. "You are such an adolescent sometimes!"

"As long as it gets me my way," Draco retorted. He pulled out his wand to call for a carriage to take them to the hotel.

Once they were comfortably ensconced in the carriage, Hermione turned to face Draco. "So why are we going to this hotel?" As far as she knew, the Sea Cliff Hotel had only 15 rooms and catered only to those with enough money to afford the best.

Draco debated on whether to make another snide comment, but decided to generously let it pass this time. They were going to have to get along eventually anyway, so why not let it start now? So instead of getting another rise out of her, which was always a guarantee for a good laugh, he chose the truth instead.

"It's my hotel and the first where I did not choose the restaurant. So we're going to test out the food to make sure I didn't make a mistake in letting my mother have her way."

Hermione was surprised. "You mean you work?"

Now it was Draco's turn to glare at her. "I'm not going to dignify that with a comment."

Hermione shrugged. "Just surprised, is all. Why not live on Daddy and Mummy's money if you have the opportunity? I thought it was what you people did."

"I don't see you doing the same, and your parents are growing to be quite prominent dentists, aren't they?"

Hermione was amazed again. "How did you know that?"

"Tsk, tsk, Granger. When are you going to learn that I know everything?" Draco flashed a sinister smile.

"You are really creepy sometimes." She gave him a mock shiver to indicate that she was not intimidated.

"Wouldn't want to be boring," he replied casually.

He leaned back against the side wall of the carriage for a better view of the opposite window, and they fell to a comfortable silence. Hermione would never have thought the day would arrive when she could sit alone in a carriage with Malfoy and neither of them were verbally or physically attacking each other.

"We'll arrive in a few minutes," he finally announced.

Hermione looked up, startled. He'd been so quiet for the last five minutes that she almost forgot he was there. She was mentally rehearsing the conversation they would have over dinner, trying out the best ways to get her point across with the least amount of embarrassment. At Draco's words, she looked out of the window and gasped. Sea Cliff Hotel definitely lived up to its name and it was definitely more than she could afford on her small wages at the research laboratory.

The beautiful five-story structure was made of grey stone, softened by it's lush landscaping. The hotel appeared to be a little island of its own, and overlooked an immense cliff with the waves of the sea crashing against nearly three quarters of its sides. Hermione would very much like to know who did the charm work, since the water looked so real. There was even a full moon reflecting against it and she knew for a fact that the full moon wasn't due for another week or so.

"This is amazing, Draco," she murmured, awed. "I can't imagine how much it cost to have this done. Who did you hire to create this effect?"

Draco smiled proudly as he watched Hermione practically lean her head out of the carriage window for a better look. "My clients pay for the best and only the best will do."

Hermione finally turned to him. "But how?"

"I thought if Hogwarts could look like a crumbling castle to those without magic, why not do the opposite effect?" Draco shrugged.

"You couldn't have done this yourself," Hermione ventured doubtfully.

He shook his head. "No time. I usually just hire Zabini. He does good work and he knows what I want."

There was a gleam in Hermione's eyes that Draco couldn't help but find intriguing. "I must talk to him. I'd love to see him work."

"I doubt he'd let you. Patents and all of that."

"But _you_ know how he did it, don't you?" Hermione pressed.

"Of course. But I'm not going to tell you anything, either. There's a strict confidentiality agreement."

Hermione doubted Zabini would agree to let her watch him even if she did offer to sign the same confidentiality agreement. She sighed. "He would make an excellent architect or landscaper," she remarked.

Draco looked a little confused, so Hermione continued. "You know, they way he designed the building and put the grounds together to create this perfect effect."

"Oh," Draco dismissed. "No, he mostly just does the leg work for me. I don't let anyone dictate the designs of any of my investments. Though Mother does like to push it," he seemed to mutter to himself.

Hermione was quite impressed, but didn't tell him so. He had a big enough ego as it was. "You seem to let your mother have her way a lot," she remarked.

Draco shrugged again. "Habit I picked up from Father."

"What, catering to your mother?"

"No, unswerving loyalty to family."

"Funny that you'd have so much in common with the Weasleys," Hermione remarked.

Draco shot her a glare. "Cheap shot."

The carriage finally stopped and Hermione was glad to see that the hotel was just as awe-inspiring up close, but it didn't intimidate, which was good. A doorman was already there to greet them. He seemed to recognize Malfoy immediately and was quick to be as solicitous as possible.

Hermione hadn't had time to change after work so she was still wearing the simple black robes she had on this morning and hoped that she wasn't underdressed. "Hey Malfoy, I, uh, don't need to change or anything, do I?"

Draco shrugged and kept walking. "You're eating with the boss. It doesn't matter what you wear."

That eased her worries a little, but Hermione was still displeased with the tactless way he had worded it. "Why do I even bother," she muttered.

Draco turned around again and perused her. "Hmm. You do look like a younger version of Professor McGonagall in that get-up and with your hair pulled back like that, don't you?"

Hermione was annoyed, but she'd heard it all before. "It's the standard uniform for Centinal Research and Laboratories. And this is the only way to keep my hair out of my face when I'm working."

"But you're not working anymore, are you?" He gave her a brief perusal before pointing his wand at her.

Hermione was instantly on the defensive and had her wand pointed in his direction within seconds. "What do you think you're doing?"

He rolled his eyes. "Relax. It's just a simple transfiguration." A quick wave of his wand shortened her dress robes and re-shaped them so that they were more flattering to the female body.

"You owe me a new uniform!" Hermione yelled.

"I did you a favor," Draco countered.

With her nose practically in the air, she marched past him to go inside. As she passed, he grabbed a hold of the hair clips she used to keep her hair back and jerked them from her hair. She gasped in outrage. "First of all, you have no right! Second of all, how did you do that so fast? It takes me a good five minutes just to take them out and ten to put them on in the first place."

"They're not the first clips I've removed," Draco grinned almost lasciviously.

"You're sick," Hermione said in disgust. Draco gave them away to a passing patron so there was no way she could get them back now.

Seriously annoyed, Hermione shook her hair out instead so that it at least lost its shape after having been kept in a bun for so long. It cascaded down her back in thick waves, and Hermione made a mental note to remember to get it cut. It had grown too long and was becoming even more of a hassle to deal with. Her scalp ached slightly from having her hair pulled back so tightly.

Draco made an odd noise, so she looked his way, curiously. "What's wrong?"

He seemed upset about something and was staring intently at her hair. She brush a hand through it a little self-consciously. He suddenly whipped his wand out again and called back her hair clips from the lady he gave them to, who gave a slight squeal of surprise. A quick spell later, she suddenly had her hair back in its usual bun, though not as severely as she preferred, which was why she typically did her own hair by hand.

"Never mind. I forgot about that bush of hair you've got. No wonder you keep it back," he said tightly. "Come inside." Draco didn't look her way this time and seemed to be in a hurry to get to the door. Hermione hated to admit she was hurt by his comment, but it was nothing she didn't believe herself, so she didn't respond.

Hermione eventually met Draco at the hotel's spacious foyer, where she saw that he was with someone that she assumed was the manager of the hotel. "We can discuss this further in the morning," he directed. Abruptly, he paused and shook his head. "No wait, I have an eight o'clock and a morning debriefing before that. Just call my secretary and set an appointment."

"Thank you, Sir. I'll do that." The manager turned to her and smiled before directing his gaze back to Draco. "Enjoy your meal. Our patrons have raved about the restaurant."

Draco found his first smile. "That's what I want to hear." Draco lead her into the restaurant without speaking, his face more guarded.

When they were finally seated, Hermione perused the menu while Draco ordered their drinks. When they were alone again, he finally spoke to her. "So Granger, tell me why you told Luna we were dating."

Back at The Quarter Note, Harry was having an argument with Ron as Luna joined Ginny backstage during a break. "It's Malfoy! There's no way she'd go out with someone like him! How can you let him be at your wedding just like that? He'll taint everything."

"Merlin Harry, I don't like the git, but he's not evil or anything. We did fight on the same side in the war," Ron reminded him. "And I think Luna's right. He can't be all that bad if Hermione likes him."

Harry actually missed the days when Ron's short temper got the best of him. At least they wouldn't be having this argument right now. Instead, they'd be scheming on ways to get back at Malfoy. "She's never mentioned him. I think something else is going on," Harry determined. "Even if she didn't feel comfortable telling us, she'd at least mention it to Gin and Gin would have said something to me."

"Didn't you see how she looked at him back there in Swinton's office? It's got to be real. Hermione's brilliant and all, but she's not much of an actress," Ron pointed out. "Besides, she told Luna. That counts for something." After Hogwarts, Hermione really got a chance to know Luna, and realized that there was more to her than she thought. They were now close friends as well as colleagues at the laboratory.

"I don't trust him. He's up to something."

Ron didn't say anything. Really, what could he say to make Harry see reason? Malfoy was the one person in the world that could instantly get Harry's back up without doing anything. Harry saw Ron's worried looked and sighed. "I know you think I'm crazy, but I can't think that Hermione could successfully hide something like that. It's like in our sixth year, when I swore to you that Malfoy was up to something, and you two didn't believe me."

"Look, Mate. I know Malfoy reminds you of Dumbledore's death, but we've all changed since then. I think his father's murder really affected him. I didn't want to say anything, but he's part of the reason why I knew things would never work out between me and 'Mione."

Harry looked startled. "What?"

"We used to fight a lot right? Everybody used to complain about how much we bickered back and forth. Well during the war when Malfoy joined us in the fight, I noticed that 'Mione and I didn't do that so much anymore," he admitted.

Harry didn't see that as anything earth shattering. "So you two grew up and got along better. What does that have to do with anything?"

"When the fighting stopped, so did the spark. Hermione's an intense person. It's an incredible feeling when it's all focused on you. I didn't know how to make her see me like that without fighting with her. It's easier to make her mad than to have a serious conversation and talk one-on-one."

Harry was quiet as he processed this. He recalled several moments in the past when it was just the two of them talking, but he didn't recall having that sort of feeling that Ron described. Though if he really thought about it, he also realized that Hermione was usually doing something else or thinking of something else at the same time, so it was rarely just about the two of them anyway. "So where does Malfoy come into this?"

"Okay, so 'Mione and I quit arguing for the sake of the war. It was a little funny talking personally without arguing. It wasn't as natural as we thought it'd be. So we slipped back into friendship, which was way more comfortable. And I think that's when Hermione realized that it was okay to just be my friend."

"You said that's when Hermione realized it. When did you?"

"It was really intense during the war, and we were trapped inside Hogwarts for a lot of it. But even though 'Mione and I stopped fighting, she and Draco couldn't help it. If they weren't yelling and insulting each other, they were glaring at the other person from across the room.

And that's when I knew. It shouldn't have been so easy for 'Mione and me to stop fighting. If what we felt for each other was real, we would have replaced it with snogging or some such thing instead. So I grew up and let her go. And the whole time, Luna was always there, like an annoying fly you can't get rid of. But I saw that you seemed to get along with her okay, so I made more of an effort."

Ron smiled, reminiscing. "And after the war was over, I saw her laughing and hugging Seamus as he twirled her around. I was jealous. And then I realized that now that the war was over, we were all going to go our separate ways, and Luna probably wouldn't be around to bother me so much, and it scared me that I was worried I wouldn't see her anymore. And that was it. That's when I decided I was going to marry Luna one day."

"So where was I when all of this was going on?" Harry joked.

"Well, you did have your hands full trying to destroy all those Horcruxes," Ron added sarcastically.

Harry laughed, but sobered as he drew the conversation back to Malfoy. "I don't know if I can just let go like you have, but I'll think about it."

"We've only seen one side of him. I think he's a different person around his friends," Ron suggested.

"I don't know about that. You remember how he was with Crabbe and Goyle that time we used polyjuice to sneak into the Slytherin Common Room."

Ron snorted. "You can't seriously call Crabbe and Goyle his _friends_, can you? I thought they were more like his thugs." Harry laughed and dropped the subject. He wasn't quite ready to give Malfoy a chance, but he'd at least try to be a little less aggressive about the way he went about hating him.

Meanwhile, Ginny was backstage with Luna on her break. "So tell me everything! Was that really Hermione walking out the door with Draco?"

Luna nodded gleefully. "I _told_ you Hermione was telling me the truth!"

"Tell me again what she told you," Ginny demanded.

Luna grinned. "We were shopping for a gift I could get Ron for his Dew Day. You know, the day the flower fairies go out and bless all the morning children with dew?"

Ginny looked mystified by that explanation, but urged her to continue anyway. "Well, we were at the quidditch supply store when I mentioned that Thatcher Holnby at the lab had a crush on her."

"Holnby? Isn't that the guy you told me who collects old toothbrushes used by famous people?" Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I thought he was old."

"Just 57. Considering how long witches and wizards live, that's really not that old."

"But he looks like he's 157!"

"He just needs to get out in the sun more," Luna insisted. Ginny looked disbelieving. "Anyway, I mentioned it to her because I think they'd be a great couple."

"I don't know Luna, I don't think he's her type," Ginny said doubtfully.

"That's what Hermione said. But Hermione's a great girl, and I really wanted to set her up with someone nice. So I mentioned your brother."

"Not Percy, surely?"

"No, Charlie. He's still single and they seem to get along famously."

"But Charlie doesn't even live in England. And I think she'll always see him as Ron's older brother."

"She said that, too. So I asked her what she looked for in a guy." Luna tilted her head to the side. "I think that's when she started blushing and stammering."

"I can't even imagine that."

"I asked her how was I supposed to set her up if she wouldn't tell me what she liked."

Ginny whistled. "I can imagine her reaction. She hates blind dates."

Luna nodded. "She was a little miffed. But she told me to stop trying to set her up with someone, because she was already dating a guy who was a bit possessive of her time and wouldn't like it if she was dating other people."

"Are you sure she wasn't just saying that to get you off her back?"

"That's when she reluctantly admitted it was Malfoy. I didn't believe her at first, but then she started acting like you do when you start talking about Harry."

"What? Do I look a certain way when I talk about Harry?" That was news to Ginny.

"Her eyes sort of lit up and she kind of came alive. It only happened when we talked about Malfoy, so I think they were in the early stages of their relationship. Through the quidditch shop window, we saw Malfoy leave Madam Malkin's with a new set of robes and Ginny, you'd know it was true, too, if you saw the way Hermione was looking at him."

"Then Draco turned and saw her through the window, too," Luna continued, "and I'm telling you, Ginny, Draco looked at her the same way!"

"I can't _believe_ she didn't say anything to me!" Ginny added. "Especially about something this big."

"I think it's because you knew Draco longer and already had preconceived ideas about him," Luna decided. "I was an outsider, so I saw things differently."

"What do you mean? What did you see?" Ginny asked curiously.

"I could be wrong, but I think Draco's had a crush on her for a long time."

"That's crazy," Ginny scoffed.

"No seriously. I think it's been since during the war." Luna frowned sadly. "He and Hermione had huge rows those last days just after the war ended. Do you remember?"

"How can anyone forget?" Ginny recalled. "But that just shows you how much they _didn't _get along. They were a lot worse than the kind of arguments she and Ron used to have. You always knew that their arguments weren't that serious. You can't say the same about hers and Draco's."

Luna still looked unhappy. "No, those last few days were when Ron and I started dating. I think Draco saw that and was trying to distract her so she wouldn't be so hurt. I started noticing it. He would start picking on her the moment Ron would try to grab my hand, or whisper something in my ear."

Ginny looked upset. "I didn't know she still had feelings for Ron by then."

"I don't think she had romantic feelings for him anymore, but it still hurt, I think, that he moved on." Luna looked upset, too. "I've always liked Ron. You know that. But I didn't want to hurt Hermione. I couldn't say no to Ron, though, when he was so persistent and offering me everything I wanted."

"Then we have to make sure that if Draco is what Hermione wants, then he'd better be the right one," Ginny declared. "I say we take it into our hands to make sure he treats her well. Are you in?"

Luna smiled in response. "I'm in."

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading. This was a slightly longer chapter. I wasn't quite happy with the way this chapter turned out, but after the fourth revision, I decided to give up and keep it the way it is. Hope you enjoyed it._


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the _Harry Potter_ books or movies does not belong to me!  
_

* * *

Hermione squirmed in her chair. She _really_ did not want to be having this conversation. But Draco had deliberately had them seated at a quiet table in a private corner precisely for this chat. And considering the expectant look he was giving her, she knew she'd better be quick about her explanation.

"It's a little complicated," Hermione began. "I mean, I didn't really mean to mention you at all, but Luna wouldn't let up, and you were across the street, so it was obvious who I'd say, and before I knew it, you and I were dating." Hermione smiled weakly and looked up hopefully at him.

"If you think you can get away with an explanation like that, you'd better think again," Draco replied flatly.

Their drinks arrived just then, and they both ordered before broaching the topic again. Hermione tried to linger over her order, but when Draco threatened to order something for her, she hastily picked something from the menu so that the waiter could go on his way.

"Remind me never to talk to you about anything important when you haven't eaten," Hermione said wryly. "You're such a grouch. And I thought Ron was bad."

"Stop comparing me to him or any of the Weasleys. We are nothing alike," Draco commanded with an expression of disgust.

"Well if you'd quit acting quit acting like them, maybe I'd stop comparing you," she told him primly. "Though you should really consider it a compliment," she added.

Draco was just about to make a retort to that, but stopped himself in time. "Don't think changing the subject will get you out of this. You still owe me an explanation," he declared. "So talk."

"Fine. I was shopping with Luna and she wanted to set me up with this truly awful guy at work and I didn't want to, and she has this idea that I don't date when really, she should know I date because I did just get out of a relationship, but I didn't want her to think I was completely hopeless with guys or lonely or anything, so I made up this guy I claimed I was seeing, but she wanted details and I saw you outside more to change the subject than to answer her questions, but she thought you were the guy I was referring to, so then she got this idea into her head…" Hermione kept rambling, hoping to get the story over with as soon as possible.

Draco just stared at her. Seriously, he didn't think she stopped to breathe at all during her entire diatribe. He held up a hand and was surprised to find that Hermione actually stopped talking. She looked relieved, actually. "So let me get this straight," Draco said slowly. "You were with Luna, saw me, and Luna jumped to the conclusion that we were dating?"

Hermione blushed. "Um, sort-of."

"You're not telling me something," he said suspiciously. "I think I have the right to know, considering this great favor I'm doing for you."

"Well I didn't ask you to do me this favor, now did I?" Hermione snapped. "It's your own fault you're in this mess."

"I can always back out," Draco pointed out.

"Look, I basically had to convince Luna I was with someone to get her off my back, so I made up a guy. I saw you coming out of the book store in Diagon Alley one weekend, and pointed you out to change the subject. She thought I was referring to you as my 'secret' boyfriend and for some reason, that made perfect sense to her."

"But _why_ would that make sense to her?" Draco was puzzled still.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. She looked at you across the street and then back at me, started smiling and talking about fate."

Draco snorted. "I thought we were fated to be enemies, but I suppose being secret lovers works," he said wryly.

"If Luna has anything to say about it, it won't be so secret anymore," Hermione said glumly.

"Draco Malfoy, how good to see you again! Did you say something about secret lovers?" A trill voice said from behind Hermione.

She turned to see a thin woman in her mid-thirties approaching their table. She had some sort of recording device trailing her, similar to the Quick Quotes Quill that Rita Skeeter seemed to prefer, though Hermione believed this one was more of an audio recording device.

She didn't recognize the woman, though Draco obviously did. He sent Hermione a meaningful look before he stood up to greet the witch. Hermione didn't know Draco well enough to interpret that look, but she assumed that whoever the woman was, she must have been important to him in some way. A family friend or acquaintance, perhaps?

"Imelda, I thought you weren't coming until the charity dinner this weekend?" Draco greeted, grasping her hands.

She laughed. "Oh, just doing some background work for the dinner, actually. I'm doing a behind-the-scenes look at preparing for such an event."

"Imelda, meet my dinner companion, Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is Imelda Quinby. You might recognize her from _Daily Society_," Draco introduced.

"Oh, I-I don't think I've had the pleasure. It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Quinby," Hermione greeted nervously. She started panicking. _Oh please, please, please don't think we're a couple, too!_ _Why did you have to hear that stupid comment about secret lovers?_

_Daily Society_ gave an insider's view of goings on in Wizarding society. The daily paper had a large following, particularly for its weekly column on Harry. She recalled Ginny grumbling about the paper, but had never met any of their reporters. She wasn't sure what they were going to do if Imelda happened to report about them in a column or something…

"Miss Granger, how surprising to see you here with Mr. Malfoy," Imelda greeted a little suspiciously. Hermione could practically see the wheels turning inside her head. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting your date."

"Oh, no, no this isn't a date," Hermione said firmly.

"It's business matters, actually," Draco added smoothly. "Miss Granger and I were discussing the possibility of hosting her friend's wedding here."

"The Lovegood-Weasley wedding? Hmm…how intriguing. We mentioned in our last Potter column that it was to take place in Hope Gardens near Otterly St. Catchpole. Is there a possibility that the location might be changed?"

Hermione wasn't sure what to say. Perhaps she should start reading the blasted column just to see what they were saying about her friends. Were they reporting about her, too?

"It never hurts to keep your options open," Hermione said hastily. "Luna's set on Hope Gardens, but I thought it might be fun to take a look around anyway."

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but we really do need to get back to our meeting," Draco said with a smile.

"Well, I really just stopped to say hello. I'll see you this weekend, Draco." Imelda and Draco exchanged some more polite exchanges before she finally left.

The waiter arrived just then with their dinners, so Hermione and Draco had to wait further to continue their discussion. "Is it just me, or has this been a really long night?" Hermione said wearily.

"It's not just you," Draco responded sourly. "You know she's going to put us in that paper, don't you?"

"Then after Ron's wedding, we'll just stage a break-up, and that will be the end of it."

"That's not the point!"

"What do you want me to say?" Hermione was so frustrated. "Look this is obviously not going to work out. Just back out now. I'll tell my friends we got into a fight and broke up over dinner. Since it's us two, it wouldn't be surprising that we couldn't get along."

"Oh, no you're not going to paint me as the bad guy in this! If anything, it should be you," Draco said resolutely.

"It'll be both our faults," Hermione decided firmly. "We are equally to blame."

"Why equal? I didn't do anything," Draco defended.

"Draco, we have to be realistic here, I would _never_ completely blame myself for anything." Hermione told him. "Okay, maybe I'd blame myself for giving you a chance," she amended.

Now Draco was insulted. "What? It's a privilege to even be linked with me. You should feel lucky."

"You're so full of yourself! In fact, I'll bet you just want to be mentioned in Harry's column," Hermione accused. "I see through you. You don't get enough press on your own, so you have to-"

"If I wanted press, I wouldn't need you to do it!" Draco argued. "And you're changing the subject. This has nothing to do with our break-up."

"How can we break up if we're not even dating?" Hermione snapped.

"Tell that to your friends!" Draco challenged.

"Fine, I will!"

"Good!" Draco and Hermione were still glaring at each other from across the table.

"I'm suddenly not hungry. I'll see myself out," Hermione told him angrily.

"I don't think so," Draco reached across the table and grabbed her wrist to keep her seated.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Quinby's still here reporting, and I'm not going to have any negative press related to this hotel. Or do you want to cause a scene that will get back to your friends?"

"Why would it matter to you? I thought we agreed that I'd tell my friends this was a hoax." Hermione reminded him.

"Don't be thick. Malfoys don't go back on their word," Draco stated.

"Then what was this whole argument about?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"You started it," Draco said childishly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're impossible!"

"Just eat your dinner!" Draco snapped.

The two were silent for several minutes. All that could be heard was the clinking of silverware on china. "So are we doing this or not?" Hermione asked grudgingly just to break the silence. The tense atmosphere was driving her batty.

"If you still want to do this, we still need to get our stories straight," he told her.

"Maybe we ran into each other somewhere. But I don't know where, since I'm rarely without one of my friends around." Hermione admitted.

"And my work schedule keeps me pretty busy," Draco said. He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Books! You're still into them right?"

"Yes, I do read," Hermione said sardonically.

"I met you outside of Flourish and Blotts one morning. You just purchased the last copy of a book I wanted for research and you agreed to share it with me over lunch. We've been talking ever since."

"That might work," Hermione said slowly. "I always go book shopping alone, so it wouldn't be suspicious to Luna and Ginny or the boys that they didn't see me with you. But what book would you want? I can't imagine that it would take long for 'F and B' to run out of copies of anything for long."

"Wait, I recently just purchased the only copy of the _Invisible Book of Invisibility_ that they could find. We'll just switch our cover story. You wanted to borrow my copy and I would not agree to let it leave my possession," Draco suggested.

"Do you really have the book? I'd love to read it," Hermione asked eagerly.

"Yes, but I don't know how you'll read it, as the pages are invisible. I did manage to get the binding of the book to reveal itself," Draco admitted. "I had to lock it in a heavy box to keep track of it. They've discovered that not only are the books invisible, but they also can float. So when one of the store clerks opened the box the books were shipped in, they all floated off, since nothing was used to weigh them down."

"How ridiculous," Hermione said. "I don't know why they would want to make them float. It's so impractical."

"For the same impractical reason that they made them invisible," Draco told her. "I hear that a sneak preview appears at the end of the book promoting the authors' next tome, the _Floating Book on Floating_."

"At least we have our stories straight. I'll tell them I've been trying to help you decipher the book." Hermione was relieved to have a plan in place. She went back to her dinner, but unfortunately, they two were interrupted again.

"Draco, don't tell me this is the girl you dumped me for!" Someone screeched as they approached the table.

Draco winced, recognizing the voice. "Eloise, how did you get in here?"

She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean how did I get in here? It's a restaurant isn't it? Why wouldn't I be here?"

Actually, it was because he thought he had added her name to the barred list, but perhaps it was still on his to-do pile. "Never mind. Eloise, meet my -er- date, Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is Eloise Midgeon."

Eloise ignored Hermione's polite greeting and continued glaring at Draco. "I met up with Imelda Quinby just outside and she says you two are an item. You certainly work fast, you womanizer!"

"It's none of your business who I date," Draco told her coldly. "Now go away. You're ruining my appetite."

"Your mother will hear about this!" With that, she flounced off.

"Why would your mother care? And who is she? Her name sounds familiar," Hermione asked, curious.

"Eloise Midgeon. Picture her younger, less developed, and with lots of acne."

"Oh! She went to Hogwarts with us. Amazing, she hardly looks like herself."

"Her father invested in a potions company that makes skincare products. I think she was a test subject, and she got lucky. As for the rest of her, I think the company also specializes in body enhancements," Draco explained.

"You never answered my question. Why would your mother care?"

"Probably because I've never dated a Muggle-born and she expects Mother to have a heart attack when she hears."

"But isn't she right? Won't your mother have a fit?" Hermione didn't understand why Draco didn't seem to be worried about the possibility.

"If I'm to appear in this wedding, she's bound to hear about it anyway," Draco said dismissively. He cleaned his plate and sighed contentedly.

"I'm a little worried. A lot of people are beginning to think we're an item. It was supposed to be just for this wedding," Hermione fretted.

"I would have thought you'd be used to the attention by now. Didn't you have that problem with those rumors that you and Potter were an item?"

"I detest attention. That's why I never read that society paper Imelda Quinby writes for. I'd hardly know anything about it if it wasn't for Ginny complaining about them all of the time. My life's a lot more peaceful if I don't know what lies people are whispering about me."

"Well, I'm meeting with Mother tomorrow evening to hand over the contract for Lovegood's wedding. She'll probably want to set up an appointment soon to discuss details. Do you need to be present for any of it?" Draco asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. Probably not, I wouldn't think. It should be just Luna and Ron, or maybe Ginny, since she's the matron of honor, a lot of it falls on her shoulders. But she might want me there anyway, considering it's your mother they'll be meeting with."

"Since we're supposed to be dating, is there anything I need to know about you?"

"Well, I don't know. If we just started dating, I doubt there's much you need to know yet. Luna will probably want to go to dinner or do something as a couple, though," Hermione replied.

"Just let me know early so I won't plan something," Draco advised.

"Well, Harry and Ginny are going on a week's vacation after the Quidditch game tomorrow. Luna might ask you to join us if the weather holds up," Hermione warned.

"I'm having my weekly dinner with Mother, so tomorrow night isn't so good. I might be able to meet you before the game and make an appearance," Draco offered.

Hermione nodded. "If they bring it up, I'll let them know. Are you going to tell your mother the truth about our situation?"

"Most likely. Do you mind? She'll be discreet."

"I sort of thought you would. Whatever you think is best is fine with me. Just keep me informed so I will know how to act."

The two had finished dinner and Draco graciously offered to escort her home. Hermione was surprised to discover that he actually owned the building where her flat is located and lived on the top three floors of another building just a few streets away.

Hermione quickly cast a warming charm as she saw that that the weather had considerably worsened. "It looks like the game tomorrow might be cancelled after all," she remarked as she shivered even after the spell.

"You never know, the weather might clear up by then," Draco said. Hermione didn't respond, only gazing tensely out the window.

It was with some relief that they finally reached Hermione's place. The wind had grown quite fierce, so Draco insisted on accompanying her to the door. "Be careful getting to work tomorrow," Draco said after she thanked him for helping her to the door.

"I always apparate to work," she told him. "But in weather like this, I might try the train after all."

Draco frowned. "Just be careful getting to the station. There will be a lot of traffic and careless people out."

"I will," she assured him. "Good night."

Draco nodded. "Thanks, you too."

"Um, let me know when you get home, ok?" Hermione asked him on impulse.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," he said.

He didn't promise to let her know when he got home, and Hermione felt too ridiculous for worrying to push it further. She went inside and watched him head out to the waiting carriage through the door's window.

Draco headed home in silence, filled with his thoughts of the evening. It was late and he was exhausted. He didn't know what possessed him to follow through with this charade, but would be glad when it was all over.

They were nearing his building and he debated on whether to notify Granger of his whereabouts. He was amused that she was worried at all. He wasn't surprised at her concern, since she was that type of person. It did surprise him, however, that he had any concern over her own welfare out in this weather the next day. Of course, she was a female and he was raised to be solicitous over all females, he reasoned. It wasn't all that crazy that he would extend that concern over to Granger, too, regardless of the fact that she was Muggle-born.

The carriage came to a halt at the door, and Draco pulled out some coins for the fare, as well as a generous tip due to the weather. He finally reached his home upstairs and set his cloak, the contract, and his case down on a chair next to the front door and kicked off his shoes.

A house elf already had a fire going and another put away his things. He was halfway to his bathroom for a nice hot shower, when he reluctantly turned around and headed back to his fireplace. He sent a floo call to Granger, who naturally answered on the first try.

"Oh good, you're home," she said, her relief evident.

Draco gave a reluctant smile. "Yes, I'm home. So stop worrying. Good night."

She smiled back. "Good night."

The call ended, and with an unconsciously lighter step, he headed back to his room. The next morning, Hermione found a carriage waiting to bring her to the train station.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for taking the time to read and review my story. :o)  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from the _Harry Potter_ books belongs to me!**

* * *

_H - _

_Noticed the weather cleared up this morning, but hoped you would take the train in to work anyway. It's better to err on the side of caution and all that. Have a safe trip._

_Regards,  
-­­ DM_

Hermione couldn't keep the grin off of her face as she entered the carriage. And it was a nice surprise to find the note pinned to the cushion. She had never seen his handwriting before, but wasn't surprised to find that Draco had excellent penmanship. Unlike Ron's illegible ink blots and scratches, the longer lines and more confident strokes of Draco's handwriting seemed more polished.

She suddenly felt silly for taking so much time on what was simply a courteous note. He probably took the same carriage and sent it back for her when he was done with it. It wasn't as if he had ordered the carriage solely for her use, she reasoned. But regardless of how much she lectured herself, she nonetheless tucked the note away for safekeeping and later perusal when she was absolutely alone.

The train was a hassle to get through, but this morning, she didn't mind. Humming, Hermione made it into work not long after. She dropped her things at her desk and stopped into the break room for some tea. She nearly dropped her cup, however, when Luna grabbed her shoulder from behind. "Hermione!" Luna exclaimed, laughing.

"Good morning, Luna," Hermione greeted with a smile as she set down her cup. "There's no need to grab me, I'm right here."

"Didn't you hear me calling you? I tried catching you downstairs and again at your desk. That must have been a really hot date with Draco last night to get you so distracted," Luna said knowingly.

"It was pleasant," Hermione admitted. Even with all the arguing and stress, she realized that she actually did enjoy herself last night.

"Did he stay over? I noticed you didn't call me last night," Luna grinned.

"Of course not," Hermione denied. "And don't start spreading that rumor around, either. It's bad enough that Quinby's on our tail."

"What? Who's Quinby?"

"Imelda Quinby. She's a reporter for _Daily Society_. We met her at dinner last night."

"Oh, the author of _The Potter Chronicles_. I remember her. She and Daddy are members of the same press association."

"Well, you know I hate that stuff. Hope you don't mind, but we lied to her and said we were talking about holding your reception at the Sea Cliff Hotel, but I don't think she believed us."

"The Sea Cliff? That's a thought. I don't think it's in our budget, though," Luna said, speculating. "Why the Sea Cliff?"

"That's where we had dinner. Draco actually owns it, can you believe?" Hermione couldn't help but still be amazed that Malfoy had actually done something with his life.

Luna smiled. It was nice seeing Hermione so cheerful. It must have been a big weight on her shoulders keeping the relationship a secret. She couldn't remember seeing Hermione so happy in a long time. "It's a beautiful hotel, but I think I might stick with the Gardens instead," Luna decided pragmatically. "That reminds me, I need to schedule an appointment to talk to Mrs. Malfoy and go over what's already been decided and what still needs to be done. Have you met Draco's mother yet?"

"No, not yet. I doubt she even knows we're dating. It's still pretty early in the relationship," Hermione said. "But he is close to his mother, so who knows how much he's told her?" Hermione decided to leave it open to give Draco a chance to decide whether he wanted to tell his mother the truth or keep it between themselves.

"I think I'll see if I can schedule an appointment when I get off of work," Luna decided. "In case he hasn't said anything yet, I won't bring it up," she promised.

Hermione smiled. "Thanks. That would be great."

"No problem. You're still taking a half day off with me to join us at the game, right?" Luna confirmed.

"I'm going to try, but it depends on if I can get this potion to work the way I want it to the first time. If not, I might miss the first half of the game," she replied.

The two agreed to meet downstairs at half past noon, with the assumption that if Hermione didn't show, then Luna was to go on ahead. Luna hid a smile of excitement as she walked back to her own work station. She knew Hermione's meticulous ways, and there was little chance that Hermione would be done in time. Hopefully her friend will enjoy the nice surprise that she and Ginny had cooked up for her. Now it all depended upon whether Ginny could pull off her part of the plan.

Ginny and Harry had a long talk last night on giving Hermione some space. Having lost so many people that he cared about before and after the battles against Voldemort, including Sirius, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Remus, Harry was ridiculously protective of his family. The first guy Hermione dated after Ron, it was revealed, was mostly after her for the fame he thought he would get. After him, Hermione's last boyfriend was a complete jerk who cheated on her at least twice that they knew of. Everyone was quite upset that Hermione, while she never wanted to see or date either of them again, didn't hold any bad feelings against them personally. Harry still blamed himself for not watching out for Hermione better, particularly since he acknowledged her as the sister he never had.

It was a good thing they were going away for the week, since it would give Hermione and Draco a little more time to develop their relationship without Harry's interference. Ginny had a feeling, though, that Harry already planned to recruit Ron into being his eyes and ears while they were away, which was quite annoying. Hopefully, her and Luna's efforts on Hermione's behalf would counteract whatever Harry had planned, at least.

As usual, Harry was too excited before a game to have breakfast, so rushed off with just a couple of bites of toast and a gulp of juice on his way out the door. He rushed back sheepishly soon after. "Er, forgot my coat," Harry explained as he returned.

Ginny laughed. "You act like you've never been to a game before."

"If I'm excited, it's just because I know we get to spend some time together after it's over," Harry said meaningfully. He gently held her by the shoulders and gave her a soft kiss. "Forgot to kiss you good morning." Ginny sighed happily as they held each other a moment longer. "Well, I should go," Harry said reluctantly.

"I'll see you at the game. You doing some interviews this morning?"

"Mostly some commentary work. I'll call you after I'm done," he said and rushed out the door again.

"I might go shopping so don't worry if I don't answer," she called after him. He waved back to acknowledge he heard and a sharp crack later indicated he had reached the apparation point just outside the wards of their house. Now that Harry was gone, Ginny rushed back to their room to change out of her house robes. It was time to pay Draco Malfoy a visit.

Draco was optimistic that today would be a much better work day. So far, his debrief on the progress of his current properties and the sale of his older ones was short and informative and the 8:00 a.m. appointment was actually on time and going smoothly. By ten, he was back at his office answering some correspondence with his secretary, Lydia.

They had just finished for the morning when Lydia remembered something and turned back around. "Sir, you also received this note while you were in your meeting," Lydia informed as she handed him a small scroll tied with a black ribbon. His name was written in tiny, precise lettering.

Curious, he turned it around in his hands. "Thank you, Lydia," he dismissed. "I'll let you know whether this requires a response." As she left, he checked the scroll for any signs that it was more than it seemed to be. When his magic indicated that the scroll was safe, he unraveled it. A tiny vial of clear liquid dropped onto his hand and a message appeared on the scroll.

_Malfoy,_

_I really appreciated your kind gesture this morning. You were right, I did decide to take the train this morning, and it was a nice surprise to find the carriage waiting for me. Should you ever need a favor, I would be happy to assist. _

_You might be curious about that little vial you're holding. It's a sample of something I've been working on in my spare time, possibly for the wedding. I was thinking of your hotel last night and thought you might enjoy it. Add a drop of lemon to the vial and tap it with your wand when you are around your favorite scent. This should imitate the scent you desire. I thought it might be a great idea for photographs and memory keepsakes, but I was thinking you could probably find a way to use it in your hotel somehow, too, possibly as a souvenir of their stay for guests, or as a product sold in your spa or gift shop. _

_If you decide you like it and want to expand its use, let me know; we'll talk._

_Sincerely,  
Hermione Granger_

_By the way, Luna asked me if your mother knew about us, since she was setting up an appointment to meet with her about the wedding. I wasn't sure how to respond, so if you could let me know? Thanks in advance._

Draco gave a half-smile, glad that she appreciated the carriage. He wondered whether she would take it or be offended, maybe implying that he felt she couldn't watch out for herself. One never knew with women how they'd react, he decided, particularly since the carriage came from him. He examined the small bottle and wondered what scent he should test it on. If Granger was right, this could hold any number of possibilities.

Lydia returned to his office just then. "I'm not ready with a response just yet. Thank you, Lydia," he told her as she neared the doorway. He was still looking intently at the bottle, thinking.

"Actually, someone is here to see you. It's Ginny Weasley-Potter. She doesn't have an appointment, but I didn't know if you wanted to see her anyway."

"I can spare a few minutes," Draco announced cautiously. He pocketed Hermione's letter and gift as he wondered whether she was here to warn him off or to offer her support. Since he hadn't spoken to her last night, her reaction might depend upon whether Potter informed her of last night's proceedings or if it was someone else.

Ginny entered Draco's L-shaped office and wasn't surprised to find that it was as spacious and expensive as the rest of the place. It was a very masculine office, however, with dark wood, heavy furniture, and austere paintings. Her artistic mind itched to re-decorate with bolder, brighter tones and more feminine touches to soften the atmosphere.

"Draco Malfoy, thank you for meeting me on such short notice," Ginny greeted warmly as she shook his hand. "I was in the neighborhood, shopping, and wanted to stop by," she added, and indicated a small bag in her hands as evidence.

"Not at all," he greeted smoothly. "Have a seat. What can I do for you?"

Ginny put down her shopping bag and situated herself on the surprisingly comfortable leather chair. "It's about Hermione."

Draco gave a nod. "I thought it might," he murmured.

Ginny sighed nervously. "I don't know how to say this. We really don't know each other that well for me to be asking you this. But you care for Hermione, right?" She looked at him closely.

"We haven't been dating long, but I enjoy her company. If you are concerned that she is seeing me, I want to assure you that I have good intentions," Draco said carefully.

She looked relieved. "Good, this will go much easier, then. Harry and I will be gone on vacation for a week, so this should give you and Hermione some much needed space. But I felt that it wouldn't be right for me to leave without speaking to you first."

Draco waited for her to continue. "Hermione has not had a good history with guys, so now Harry's very suspicious about anyone she dates. But I still believe that Hermione knows what she's doing, and if it's you that she wants to spend time with, then it's her choice. Luna and I were talking and we want to make sure that you are given a fair chance with Hermione."

Draco nodded. "What are you suggesting?"

"If you can win Ron over, it will go a long way towards winning Harry over. We are all having dinner tonight before we leave and going out with us would be a big step in that direction."

"Hermione mentioned it, but I'm not sure if I can make it tonight. I'm meeting with my mother for dinner," he explained. "Since my father's death, I've never missed our weekly dinners. And I still need to drop off the contract for your brother's wedding."

Ginny seemed so disappointed that he was tempted to offer to join them for after-dinner drinks someplace. She suddenly brightened. "What about lunch? That might actually work better. Hermione and I are meeting Ron and Luna at the game today. Harry's working the game, so won't be able to join us. This will give you a good opportunity to get to know Ron without Harry. What do you say?" She looked up at him hopefully. "I know you have quidditch as a common interest."

He did, in fact, have lunch free from any appointments, but he had intended to work through lunch today. But it did free him from any obligations with them for that evening, he thought, and that was the deciding factor. "Why not? What time are you having lunch?"

"We're thinking maybe one? What do you say? We have reserved a suite."

"Then I'll meet you there," he agreed.

Ginny beamed. "That's great! I was hoping you'd agree. I brought a pass for you to get past security. They can direct you on where to go from there."

"Thank you. So it's the Cannons against the Falcons? I'm traditionally a Falcons fan, but I'll try to curb my tongue for your brother's sake," Draco smiled.

"I should have known you'd support the opposite team," Ginny replied with a shake of her head. "Well, I'll see you at the game. I don't want to take too much of your time."

"I appreciate your stopping by." Draco stood to escort her to the door, but stopped her before she left. "One quick question. What did you mean when you said Hermione has not had a good history with guys?"

Ginny squirmed. "It's not my place to say," she said uncomfortably. "Let's just say her last boyfriend was Adrian Pucey."

Draco's reaction was instant. Ginny watched as his face transformed into a cold mask. "I see," he bit out. There was no need to say anything further. Pucey used to go out with Pansy back in the day, and he remembered too many nights when Pansy would come to him crying after discovering Pucey with someone else. No wonder Potter was upset at the thought of Granger with another Slytherin. "I want you to know I'm nothing like that," he told her vehemently.

Ginny smiled hesitantly. "Thank you. I hope not. Or else I can't imagine what Harry would do."

Draco nodded. "If I ever treat Hermione that way, it's only fair."

Ginny smiled in appreciation before she left. Lydia returned shortly after to inquire about a response to the missive. The owl was still at her desk waiting for a reply. "No need for a response. I'll give a reply in person over lunch," he decided.

Once Ginny left the building and was back on the main street again, she quickly found a public floo to contact Luna. "Gin? What did he say?"

"You're right, he's meeting us for lunch," Ginny informed. "Now all we have to do is make sure Ron gives him a chance."

Luna nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

It was a quarter to one and Luna had been pestering Ron for the past fifteen minutes to be nice to Draco, who, she informed him, was joining them for lunch. Ron never did well with surprises, so she thought it best to give him some time to prepare and get all of his irrational accusations taken care of now before Draco was present to incite Ron further.

"I let him be in the wedding, didn't I? That's enough," Ron said stubbornly. He plopped down on one of the plush couches situated around the suite. A side table currently was being filled with food for their luncheon meal.

Luna sighed with exasperation. "You didn't really think you wouldn't have to see Draco again until we're at the ceremony, did you?"

"Well, why not? It's not like we plan girly pre-wedding things like you, Herms and Gin seem to need to do every weekend," Ron grumbled.

"Be nice. Hermione obviously likes him, and she wouldn't if there wasn't something to like about him," Luna said reasonably. "You need to give him a chance."

"We're talking in circles. I told you, Hermione doesn't know what she likes. She's making a mistake."

"If you ruin Hermione's chance at happiness, I'm not speaking to you until the wedding!"

"But that's three months away. You can't just stop talking to me just like that," Ron coaxed.

"Watch me," Luna said just as stubbornly. "I've been taking some tips from Ginny. I think I've got the hang of this being mean thing down now," she said.

Ron glowered. He was going to kill his sister for getting him into this predicament. Ginny was becoming a bad influence on Luna, he determined. "I'm not saying I'm going to deliberately say something to him. But it's Malfoy. He can't help being a prick."

"I think he's charming. He's very handsome. I can see why Hermione would be attracted to him," Luna said dreamily to deliberate make Ron mad.

Of course, it worked. Ron was getting red in the face. "You don't like blondes!"

"I'd make an exception for him."

"Luna!"

"Yes Ron?"

Ron sighed. "Forget it. I'll be nice. But just for today!"

"I knew you could be reasonable. Ginny didn't think you could, but I had faith." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Here, take this."

"Er, what is it?" Ron asked as he eyed the smelly drawstring pouch.

Luna shrugged. "I don't know. Daddy owled it to me while I was at work. He said it's for good luck so that the Cannons will win."

"I'll just go put this in a safe place," Ron announced as he went to find a place on the opposite side of the quidditch pitch to stash the thing. Hopefully someone would steal it or Luna would forget about it. Better yet, maybe the Falcons would take a whiff of whatever was in this thing and suddenly lose sight of the snitch. Cheered at the thought, Ron wondered if there was a way to hide the thing close to the Falcons' side of the stands, and if he'd get into trouble for doing it. Well, only if he got caught, he thought sneakily. Fred and George would be proud of him. He should remember to mention it in the next letter to them.

At the moment, the twins were on an extended trip to the Mediterranean for some conference or something related to business. As a surprise, they had also splurged on a trip for their parents, too, as a sort of second honeymoon. They weren't due back for another month. It took some convincing to get his mother to go, since there seemed to be so much to do for the wedding and she didn't want to miss it. Ron assured her that there would still be plenty left to do when they got back, so she wasn't going to miss out on too much. At least Molly already had the chance to go gown shopping with Luna. He heard the dress was 'astounding.' He didn't know what that meant, but as long as Luna and his mum were satisfied with the gown, that was all that mattered to him.

Downstairs, Hermione was rushing to get to the game on time. She managed to finish her potion only ten minutes after Luna had left, so was hoping to reach the suite by the time the whistle blew to indicate the start of the game. She happened to meet Ginny at the entrance gate and they chatted as they wound their way through the crowd to their destination.

Hermione was suddenly grabbed from behind, however, and pulled into someone's arms. Yelping, Hermione turned to see who it was and gasped. "Adrian? What are you doing?"

"Pucey, you get away from her," Ginny said warningly.

He ignored her and instead pulled a struggling Hermione closer to him to steal a kiss from Hermione's lips. "Baby, you know you've missed me as much as I've missed you."

Out of nowhere, Hermione was yanked from his arms and a fist came flying at Pucey's nose. "Stay away from my girlfriend!" Draco yelled, shaking with fury. Hermione stared wide-eyed from Adrian, bleeding on the ground, to Draco, who was standing over Adrian's form, his fingers still clenched into a tight fist.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for reading and I appreciate all of the reviews! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize from the _Harry Potter_ books or movies belongs to me!**

* * *

There was a mountain of food and no one around to eat it. Back at the suite, Luna eyed the generous buffet, wondering what she should sample first. The game was going to start pretty soon and no one seemed to have arrived yet. She hoped Ginny was ok. It was unlike her to not arrive early if Harry was acting as announcer. Regardless, she was excited for the game to begin. She hoped that Harry heeded her advice about spicing things up when calling the game. After all, someone needed to take her place until she could get back.

It was more of a hobby, really, than a career choice. She had filled in for someone once and had gained some popularity for her 'unique outlook on the game,' or so she was told. A whole new audience typically not interested in sports tended to follow her games purely for the entertainment aspect of it. Pleased with the results, the Chudley Cannons and many other teams often requested that she act as a guest announcer to increase their fan base.

Not feeling right about eating before everyone's arrival, Luna stepped back and gazed out of the window instead in hopes that she would find her friends. She saw Ron on a lower level and waved to him, but he didn't seem to see her. Curious about what had him so engrossed, she apparated to his side.

"Hi Ron, what are you looking at?" Luna greeted as she pecked him on the cheek. She leaned over the railing, but didn't seem to see anything of interest. There was a crowd of people milling about below them, and the typical excitement that came before a quidditch match could be felt in the air.

"Over there by the last ticket stand on the left. I think I see Gin and 'Mione, but I can't make out who that is with them," he replied.

"I don't know, we can only make out his back from this direction. Oh look, there's Draco," Luna pointed out. "Wow, he looks mad."

"Wait, I think that's Pucey!" Ron yelled.

"No, I'm sure that's Draco," Luna insisted.

"Not him, the other guy. What does he think he's doing? I warned him to stay away from her! Wait 'til I tell Harry." Ron was all set to apparate away when Luna grabbed his arm. "Let go before he gets away," Ron urged.

Luna merely tightened her hold on his arm. "Stop it, you're not allowed to do anything anyway, remember? Besides, I think Draco's handling it. It's his right, after all."

"What?" Ron looked confused. He looked back over his shoulder just in time to see Draco knock Pucey to the ground.

Ginny was thrilled by Draco's actions, though Hermione still looked dismayed and shocked. She couldn't wait to tell Harry about this. It would be a point in Draco's favor, particularly since Harry hadn't been able to do much of anything himself.

Adrian attempted to scramble to his feet, but froze momentarily when Draco shifted his stance to block Pucey's path. "Get up, I dare you," Draco snarled. He now had a chokehold on Pucey's robes as he pulled him closer.

Worried, Hermione moved to tug at Draco's arm. "Draco, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to beat the snot out of the-"

"We're in public and you're causing a scene," Hermione protested.

Draco just looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you saying you _welcomed_ his attentions? Because it didn't look that way to me from where I was standing."

"Of course not. It's not like that. Just not here, ok? I hate all the attention. Let's just go, he's not worth it." Hermione looked around nervously. They were attracting a crowd and she just knew this was going to somehow get back to Ron and Harry and they were going to be all annoying about Pucey again. "You're going to hurt yourself," Hermione objected.

Draco was insulted. "_Me_? When I'm through with him, he'll wish he was dead!"

"Draco, he's the professional fighter, not you," she pointed out.

Adrian spoke up as he pushed himself away from Draco and got to his feet. "Don't worry Honey, I won't hurt him. Much."

Draco eyed him scornfully and swept Pucey's legs out from under him, knocking him back down to the ground. "For a professional fighter you're not very good."

"Hermione, don't stop him. It was just about to get interesting," Ginny said with anticipation. She detested Pucey and couldn't wait to see him get what he deserved. Not long after Hermione finally broke up with him, Pucey spoke to the Ministry and ordered that a restraining ward be erected to protect him against Ron, Harry, or any Weasley. So unfortunately, his request for a restraining ward was granted and now they were not legally allowed to do anything to him. But Draco did not have to abide by those rules, and she was looking forward to seeing Pucey get what he deserved.

"No," Hermione said firmly.

Adrian grinned through the blood clotting around his nose. "See, I knew you still cared for me."

Hermione scowled and gave him a good kick and was satisfied when Adrian gave an involuntary flinch. This, of course, made her feel ashamed for stooping to his level. "Forget it, Adrian. I told you to stay away from me. Now I'm going to have to get one of those restraining wards, too, just to prove to you I meant it. Just leave me alone!" With that, she pushed her way through the crowd. Seeing how upset Hermione was, Ginny went after her.

"You'll be spared this time, but you better watch your back. You may have gotten to Pansy, but you're not going to do the same thing to Hermione," Draco vowed.

Adrian smirked as he sat up and gave a humorless chuckle. "First Pansy, and now Hermione. Looks like you've got a thing for my leftovers." This time, Draco knocked Pucey out cold. In contempt, Draco spit on his body, kicking him in the ribs as he walked over him to go after Hermione too.

"He shoulda hit him some more," Ron said, disappointed. "Not much of a fight."

"Ron," Luna admonished. "Adrian Pucey's obviously unconscious, isn't that enough?"

"I guess," Ron said reluctantly. "It wouldn't be as fun to hit him if he's not awake to feel it."

"You're so bloodthirsty. Anyway, I think Draco did the right thing. If I was upset, I'd hope you would come after me too instead of staying to fight someone."

"Of course I'd come after you," Ron assured. "But first I'd make sure Harry was around to take care of any bloke who hurt you for me. Or the twins," he added.

"I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted," she said.

Ron smiled. "Of course you'd be flattered. I'll even let you help me hurt the guy who hurt you," he offered magnanimously.

Luna thought about it and shrugged. "Okay."

"You know, I think I should talk to Malfoy. He's not on a restraining ward yet, so we can get him to do stuff before Pucey tries to get one on him, too," Ron said.

Luna smiled. "I'm so glad you two are finding things in common."

"Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up," Ron said sourly. "Malfoy's still Malfoy and that's not gonna to change."

"As long as you try," Luna said primly. "Let's go back to the suite. The food's arrived." Ron agreed since he was hungry.

"Hermione! Wait up!" Ginny called. Hermione reluctantly stopped and turned around. "Are you okay? I'm sorry about what happened back there," Ginny said, concerned.

Hermione nodded reluctantly. "It's okay. I'm just upset, but I'll get over it."

"Draco was really mad back there. Did you tell him about what Pucey did to you?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not really. But Adrian is a Slytherin. I doubt he's changed much since Hogwarts. I was just too blind to see it."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ginny asked sympathetically.

"No, I've spent too much time as it is agonizing over him. He's not worth the time," Hermione said firmly.

Ginny patted Hermione on the back as Draco approached them. "Do you mind if I speak with Hermione alone?" Draco requested soberly.

Ginny nodded. "I'll see you two upstairs."

Draco guided Hermione to a little eatery located near the stands. "So what are you doing here?" Hermione asked as they sat at a table outside.

"Ginny stopped by my office this morning and invited me. I'm supposed to be trying to bond with her brother," Draco explained. Hermione gave a half-smile at the thought of Draco attempting to get all chummy with Ron, but remained silent. "She also mentioned that you used to date Pucey. How did that happen?"

Hermione looked up. "What did she tell you? Is that why you hit him? Because, really, she probably exaggerated. I think Ron and Harry have rubbed off on her. She's gotten to be as over-protective as they are."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Why are you still defending him? It's not like you. You're a clever witch. I thought I'd be seeing you plan your revenge or something."

"But you don't know anything about me," Hermione countered. "It's not like we run in the same circles."

"We're starting to go off topic. I can't stand the guy, but you're not the reason why I hit him. Well, okay, not the _only_ reason why I hit him," Draco amended.

"I thought not," Hermione said. "It just didn't make much sense to me why you would do that, unless you had another reason. I mean, we're not even friends. I can understand maybe pushing him for appearances, since we are supposed to be seeing each other, but you went a little far."

Draco didn't like the direction that this was going. "We're not best friends or anything, but you're not my enemy, either," he said. "I would do the same even if we didn't have this deal."

Hermione was puzzled. "But why?"

Draco couldn't understand her confusion. "Well, why wouldn't I? You were obviously not in a position you wanted to be in and I don't think any girl should be manhandled like that."

"But why would you do that for me? I mean, you used to call me mudblood back in school!"

Draco dismissed it. "That's different. I was a kid then trying to be something I'm not. I only said it to make Weasley mad and I knew you probably never heard of it. I'd never used that term before and I was just repeating stuff my Dad used to say."

"Well it still hurt, once I found out what it meant," Hermione retorted.

"Hey wait a minute, you promised not to bring that up anymore!" Draco said, remembering. "Back in the war when we called a truce. I apologized and once you accepted my apology, we made a deal not to bring it up anymore. You're going back on your word," Draco accused.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're twisting my words around. I'm not accusing you, I'm just using it as an example of why I don't understand why you would even consider defending me against a former housemate."

"Because I can't stand the guy, that's why!"

"But why?" Hermione probed.

"He's bad news, always has been. Girls fall for his athleticism, I think. He doesn't have much else going for him, so that has to be it. Then once he's got them where he wants them, he treats them like trash," Draco said in disgust.

He just couldn't understand how any Slytherin pureblood could treat females that way. Lucius Malfoy had his faults, but he raised his son to treat women with respect. It was mostly for women of their class, but Draco extended that to respect for all women as he grew older, particularly during his later years at Hogwarts.

As head of his house, Severus Snape had strict rules regarding the way he expected his students and his house to carry themselves, and respect for each other was one of the key rules. Snape didn't expect everyone to get along with everyone else, since he obviously didn't, but there was little cause to be disrepectful without reason. It was mostly only Pucey who broke the rules, regardless of how much he got into trouble for it later on, and it irked Draco that Pucey's behavior made it that much harder to improve the Slytherin reputation among its peers.

"This sounds personal," Hermione observed. "Did he do something against you or someone you knew?"

"It was Pansy," Draco admitted.

Now that he mentioned it, Hermione remembered that Parkinson and Draco had a thing back in Hogwarts, but recalled that they broke things off some time during sixth year and became friends instead. Soon after, Hermione remembered seeing her spend a lot of time with Pucey. "So he cheated on her?"

"What I'm about to tell you does not go beyond the two of us," Draco began quietly. Hermione nodded quickly. "It wasn't just the cheating. It was the way he changed her so that she began making excuses for him and held onto him even when he made it obvious he would never be faithful to her."

Draco looked away, lost in memories. "I hated him. He'd string her along until I almost had her convinced she was ready to leave him, but then he'd do something to get back in her good graces again and the cycle would start all over. I was busy with Voldemort at the time, so I couldn't dedicate to getting her to stay away from him for good."

Hermione was growing a little uneasy. It was all starting to sound uncomfortably familiar. "So, uh, where's Parkinson now? Do you still keep in touch?"

"She's married now and lives somewhere in Scotland. Pucey doesn't even acknowledge his kid," Draco said bitterly.

Hermione gasped. "Pansy was pregnant with his child?"

"Once Pucey found out she was pregnant, he accused her of cheating on him, called her a slut and never spoke to her again. I tried to get Pansy to request a paternity test, but she wouldn't hear of it. She said she didn't want that kind of a father in her child's life anyway."

Hermione was very upset. She couldn't even imagine all that Pansy had to go through and felt very fortunate that she was no longer seeing him. "I can only imagine what her parents said."

"They pitched a fit, of course, then quickly married her off to avoid a scandal. Luckily, her parents have better taste in men than she does, because she's now in love with her husband and they are quite happy."

Hermione smiled, glad that there was at least a happy ending for Pansy. They didn't get along back in school, but she didn't wish her any ill will. "Thank you for confiding in me. You've really confirmed my

resolve to never see him again."

"Promise me that if he comes anywhere near you, that you call Potter or Weasley," Draco demanded.

She smiled. "I can't do that," she denied. "Harry and Ron would kill him, and then I'd be stuck trying to break them out of Azkaban."

"Well then call me, I at least have some restraint."

"Yeah, you'll only break his nose," she teased.

"What's a broken bone or three? At least he'll still be breathing," Draco joked.

"Well, maybe out of his mouth," Hermione grinned. Harry's voice could be heard just then opening the game and introducing the players. The two began walking back to join Hermione's friends.

Draco looked ahead and cursed silently. "Don't look now, but I see Eloise Midgeon and her cronies coming our way."

Hermione was appalled. "Is there any way we can avoid them?" But she knew it was too late, since it was obvious that they spotted each other. Draco slipped his hand in hers just then to keep up the pretense that they were together.

"I talked to your mother and she's never even heard of you with Granger. I think you're lying," Eloise accused. Draco stiffened. No one called him a liar. But Eloise continued talking before Draco could get a word in. "I think you're just doing it to make me jealous. Well Draco, if you wanted me back, you didn't have to go to such drastic measures. I mean, lying and saying you're dating a mud-"

"I wouldn't finish that if I were you," Draco said harshly. Being a female, he wouldn't physically hurt her, but he had no qualms about a minor hex or two.

"You're delusional if you think Draco wants to get anywhere near you!" Hermione added. She was insulted that Eloise Midgeon felt she could talk about her that way as though she wasn't even there.

"I wasn't talking to you, you tart!"

"How dare you!" Hermione shrieked. Draco pulled her back before a catfight could ensue.

"Get out of here Midgeon and stay the hell away from us!" Draco said icily.

Eloise shot Hermione an evil look. "We're not through here, and you'll see she's no good for you!" She and her friends, who had remained silent during the entire episode, walked off just then. Out of spite, Hermione whipped out her wand and cast a trip jinx at Eloise just as she was passing by someone with a box full of drinks in his hands.

Hermione smirked as Eloise got drenched. Draco chuckled. "Good one."

"How could you date someone like that?"

"I have no idea," Draco said honestly. He put a casual hand around her shoulders as they reached the suite.

"There you are, it took you long enough," Ginny greeted.

"Malfoy," Ron greeted guardedly after waving to Hermione. Draco nodded in return.

"We met up with some unpleasant company, but we're here now," Hermione explained, thinking of Eloise.

"Oh! We saw you with Adrian Pucey. Ginny was just filling us in on what happened," Luna said. "Ron says the fight was too short, but I thought it was very exciting!"

"Did you know he's supposed to be a professional fighter?" Draco asked in disgust. He took a seat as Hermione went toward the buffet table to grab some food.

"I never said he was good," Hermione pointed out, eyeing the roast beef with interest. "Draco, did you want anything?"

Draco quickly stood up. "I should be getting that," he said as he grabbed the plate from her.

"Don't be silly," Hermione countered as she grabbed the plate from him.

He sighed in exasperation. "Don't you let anyone do anything for you? Now take a seat, I insist." He guided her to the sofa next to Ron and went back to the table to fill two plates.

Hermione looked bewildered about how she ended up on the chair so quickly. Ron looked on with interest as Hermione gazed in Draco's direction in puzzlement. "So, I saw you kick Pucey," Ron said casually. "That must have felt good."

"Yeah," Hermione admitted. "I mean, I didn't mean to, but then after I did, it felt really nice."

"Good. Wish you did more."

"I guess I'm learning it's okay to be mad. Draco was telling me stories about Pucey back in Hogwarts and I'm glad I didn't stay with him longer."

That reminded Ron that he needed to speak with Draco about getting to Pucey for his treatment of Hermione. She had gotten extremely compliant and eager-to-please there for a while when she was with him. It was so opposite of Hermione's true nature that they were all worried for a time about what Pucey could have done to make her act that way. It was nice hearing her not defend him. Ron grudgingly admitted to himself that perhaps some good could come out of her dating Malfoy.

"And Ross just misses the snitch!" Harry boomed just then. Ron whipped back around as half the stadium groaned and the other half cheered. "What a move! Rogers whips around Trays and he scores! Ten points to the Falcons!" The fans, including Draco, cheered.

Draco quickly sat down, handing a plate to Hermione. Her eyes widened at the mountain of chicken wings piled on her plate. 'Er, Draco, I don't think I can eat all this."

"Huh? Oh, sorry, wrong plate," Draco said distractedly. He took the plate from her to Hermione's relief. But Hermione looked chagrined again when he handed her the right plate and the large pile of chicken wings was replaced by an even larger pile of roast beef instead. "You wanted the roast beef, right?"

"Yeah, thanks," Hermione said wryly. She got up again to put some of the meat away and to add a vegetable of some kind to her plate. Luna went to join Ron, leaving Hermione and Ginny lingering at the table.

"So you said you met up with some unpleasant company. Did something happen on your way here?" Ginny asked, curious. "It couldn't have just been Pucey. Or did he come back to confront you again?"

"No," Hermione denied. "It was just an ex-girlfriend of Draco's. She had the gall to accuse Draco of dating me to make her jealous! We met her once before last night during dinner. She's much worse than what Pansy was. I don't know what he saw in her."

Ginny smiled. "You're not jealous, are you?"

"Of course not!" Hermione huffed. "Believe me, there's nothing to be jealous about."

"I thought it was great that Draco defended you like that to Pucey. It was high time someone gave him a taste of what he deserved!"

"Well Harry and Ron did try to hex his bits off that time after we broke up," Hermione reminded her.

Ginny grinned evilly. "Yeah, that was fun. I wish I was there to see it. But that's also why he got that annoying restraining ward put up."

"Hopefully he'll leave me alone for good."

Another cheer went up, and this time it was Ron who cheered as Draco groaned. "Did you see that?" Ron hooted.

"It was a lucky shot," Draco objected.

Ron scoffed. "That was pure talent, plain and simple."

"Whatever. I'll bet you a galleon your man Houser drops the quaffle on his next scoring attempt," Draco challenged.

"You're on!" Ron agreed as they shook on it. Luna and Ginny looked pleased that they were getting on together rather well. Hermione was merely surprised. She supposed even enemies could bond over a quidditch match.

* * *

_Author's Note: Again, thank you for reading! This chapter took a little longer, since I wasn't sure what direction to go with this one. I hope you enjoyed it. I appreciate all of your reviews!!  
_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Nothing you recognize from _Harry Potter_ is mine!

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading and reviewing! I just finished writing this chapter and thought I'd go ahead and update. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Ooh, bad luck for Houser. Cannons lose the quaffle for the second time and the Ravens now have possession," Harry called. Draco laughed with glee, holding out his hand toward Ron for his winnings. 

It was the end of lunch and Draco was having a surprisingly good time as Ron, now two galleons lighter, pouted, glaring at Houser. Unfortunately, it was time for Draco to get back to the office, and he found himself almost wishing he had another hour or two. He didn't realize until just now how much work interfered with his personal life.

"That's not a drop. It can't be a drop," Ron declared for the tenth time since handing over another galleon.

"Oh, so he _threw_ it down," Hermione said, smiling. Draco smirked.

"It was pulled out of his hands," Ron protested.

"Didn't you see? A gust of wind just flew through at the last second and the force of it made him lose the quaffle," Luna explained, pleased with her conclusion.

"If that unlikely event did happen, it still comes down to the same thing. He dropped the quaffle and I won again," Draco relished as he lounged back in his chair. His arm brushed Hermione's side in the process and they both fought the urge to move away.

"It doesn't matter anyway, we're still going to win this game!" Ron said. Cheers seemed to echo his sentiment as the Cannons stole the quaffle and scored.

"Well, you'll have to tell me all about it, because I have to get back to work," Draco said as he moved to stand.

"Oh, do you have to?" Ginny asked. They were all enjoying themselves, and things seemed to be going so well.

"Work calls," Draco replied. He helped Hermione to her feet so she could walk him to the door. Ron's attention went back to the game, but Luna and Ginny turned all the way around and were openly watching the couple to see what they were going to do.

Hermione moved to open the door so that they could say their good-byes in private, which caused Ginny and Luna to shamelessly moan in disappointment. Hermione rolled her eyes at their antics. She tried to open the door, but Draco seemed to have other ideas. With one hand against the door, Draco ran his other hand across her neck and jaw line to hold her face steady as he leaned down to brush a gentle kiss across her lips. "I'll call you tonight." Hermione's face was aflame with embarrassment, and Draco couldn't help but smile in amusement.

"So, um, about your mother," Hermione said, flustered.

"I've thought about it, and I'm going to tell her what we've told your friends," he whispered. Hermione nodded in understanding. "I'll fill you in on how that goes." Draco left and Hermione watched the door, not wanting to turn around and face her friends. She gave an internal sigh and mentally braced her shoulders as she tried to casually return to her seat.

"So," Luna began as Hermione sat back down.

"I don't want to hear it!" Ron immediately shouted. "If you're going to start talking girl things, you can wait until after the game!"

"Well, we can't talk then, the game will be over and Harry will be joining us for an early dinner," Ginny pointed out.

"Oh, too bad, I guess you can't talk after all," Ron said cheerfully.

Hermione was all for that, but Ginny and Luna voiced their disapproval and proceeded to kick Ron out of the room. "Go talk to Harry," Ginny ordered. Ron grumbled, but left anyway.

"So, how long exactly did you say the two of you have been dating?" Ginny immediately asked, grinning.

"Erm, not long," Hermione replied weakly.

"I think you two are so cute together," Luna gushed. "I have a breakfast appointment with Mrs. Malfoy tomorrow morning and you should come. Since Draco's obviously serious about you, this will give you a chance to get to know his mother."

"How much has he told his mother about you?" Ginny immediately asked.

"Uh, he's actually going to talk to her about me tonight," Hermione confessed, blushing. "I don't know how she's going to react."

"She'll love you," Ginny assured. "I wish I could come with you tomorrow. Where are you meeting for breakfast?"

"Troodle's on the West End," Luna informed. "They're usually packed Saturdays, but Mrs. Malfoy got them to close the entire place just for us tomorrow morning," Luna said enthusiastically. "She says that a wedding breakfast the day before the ceremony is necessary, and only Troodle's will do."

"Ooh, Troodles! Maybe I can convince Harry to let us leave tomorrow after lunch instead?" Ginny said, excited. "I've been wanting to try them for ages."

"What's Troodles?" Hermione asked, confused.

"It's this upscale place that opened up on the West End last year," Ginny explained. "They got a great reputation right from the start. I've been meaning to try them, but they only seem to have openings on nights when I have to work. It's been quite frustrating."

Similar to Diagon Alley, the West End served only the Wizarding community. The area was quite new and tended to cater to a more privileged clientele. In fact, that was where Sea Cliff Hotel was located. Hermione had few chances to explore the area, since work and most of her errands had her busy in and around Diagon Alley instead.

"In case you have to leave anyway, we'll tell you all about it," Luna assured Ginny. "But enough about that. I want to know more about you and Draco!"

"There's really not that much to tell," Hermione said weakly.

"Come on, you can at least tell me about your first date!" Ginny insisted.

'Well, of course we met outside the bookstore," Hermione said. "He had a book I wanted and wouldn't lend it to me."

"But couldn't you just buy or order your own copy?" Luna asked, confused.

"They've only found one copy of the _Invisible Book of Invisibility_, and I've been curious about the book since I heard about it," Hermione said sincerely. It was all true. She just technically hadn't laid her eyes on it yet.

"It figures you'd meet at the book store," Ginny said in amusement. "It's the only place I can think of where you'd be alone and could hide this relationship from us."

"So he finally lent it to you. Did you use your womanly charms to coax it out of his hands?" Luna teased.

"That doesn't even sound like me," Hermione scoffed. "I was allowed to look at it only in his presence. I wasn't allowed to touch the thing at all. I think he only did it because he needed help in viewing the pages."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"Well, the pages are invisible, too, so we're still trying to work out how to look at them."

"You could always contact the manufacturer and find out from them," Luna said logically.

"Well where's the fun in that? Anyway, I think Draco's already tried that, but I don't know," Hermione said. She really didn't know if he had or not, but it was such a logical thing to do that she reasoned that there had to be an explanation for why that route didn't pan out.

"Only you would fall in love over a book," Ginny said, shaking her head. "I'm just surprised that Draco would."

"Hey, I didn't say anything about love!" Hermione panicked at the mere thought that those types of feelings would have to be faked. "It was just some minor interest just to see where this goes. Really!"

Luna gave her a knowing look. "I think you're protesting too much if the feelings you say you don't have aren't true."

"What?" Hermione asked, confused.

"What she means is, if you really don't have feelings like that, you wouldn't be protesting so much," Ginny translated.

"Well whatever you think it's not true," Hermione insisted. If Gin and Luna were already thinking like this, then it was definitely an indication that she and Draco had to pull back a little. And what was he thinking with that kiss? Nowhere in their agreement did they talk about kissing and she believed he only did it to embarrass her. Well the joke was not funny and the next time they talked, he was going to know her feelings about that!

Ron made his way through the crowds towards the announcer's booth, stopping along the way to watch a particularly exciting play or two. The Falcons were up 120 to 70 and Ron had hope that the Cannons could catch up. He finally reached the announcer's booth and as he was a regular visitor, Ron had no problems getting through.

"The Cannons have called for a time-out. The referee has agreed to a 15-minute break. We'll be back after a word from our sponsor, Reginald's Rising Raisins. Improve the taste of any pastry with a rising raisin today!" Harry put down the microphone and turned to greet his friend. "Ron, thought you'd be up here sooner. The Cannons are doing pretty good today," Harry complimented.

"Except for that dumb Houser. What's he thinking dropping the quaffle like that? Now I'm down two galleons!" Ron groused.

Harry laughed. "Who did you bet with? Ginny? No, it has to be Hermione."

Ron shook his head. "No, it's not either of them, but you know any of the two would've made that prediction."

"Hmm," Harry said thoughtfully. "I didn't take Luna for the betting type."

"Course not. Malfoy joined us for lunch. Took my money, too. Like he doesn't have enough of his own," Ron complained.

Harry stiffened. "Malfoy? He's here?"

"No, he left. Could only stay for lunch. But I told'im that we'll see who's laughing when the Cannons come back from behind and win the game!"

"You sound like you're getting along with him," Harry accused.

"Well, I couldn't outright hate the guy now," Ron admitted uncomfortably. "Not after realizing we got a common enemy."

"Voldemort doesn't count!" Harry snapped. "I thought we agreed he's bad news for Hermione!"

"Well, you weren't there, so you didn't see," Ron tried to explain. "It was Pucey. He was here and was messing around with Hermione again."

"Great, now there's two of them," Harry said sarcastically. "Were they double-teaming against Hermione? Because there's no restraining ward to stop us from keeping Malfoy away!"

"No, you don't understand," Ron interjected. "Malfoy's on our side. Hit the guy and everything. He knocked Pucey out cold. Gin was telling me she'd never seen him so mad."

Harry was taken aback. This wasn't what he was expecting to hear. "Malfoy's got to have a hidden motive," Harry said adamantly.

"I don't think so," Ron replied. "I think he might be for real about his feelings for Hermione. I saw Malfoy hit him, but not close enough to hear anything. Gin was saying that he wouldn't have stopped at just a couple of punches, either, if it wasn't for Hermione."

"I don't know, it might all have been for show," Harry said stubbornly.

"Then he's putting on a good act, because he was real attentive to Hermione the whole time during lunch, just doing little things, you know? I don't think he even knew he was doing them."

Harry looked at Ron doubtfully. "Well of course he'd do that. He knew you were all watching."

Ron shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. But if I was Malfoy and using Hermione for my own purposes, I'd be sure to refill her glass or hand her a napkin around her friends. I doubt I'd know that she likes her napkin folded three times or that she has a thing for Muggle soda. He even ordered something called root beer for her when he saw none on the table."

Harry hated to admit that Ron might have a point, but that didn't mean he had to give in and just trust Malfoy, either. Ron seemed to understand that Harry needed more time to think things over, so they dropped it for now and went back to talking about the game.

As Draco made his way back to the office, he found himself wondering about the outcome of the Falcons-Cannons game. He should have made a bet with Weasley about the winner of the game, too. It would be the easiest three galleons he'd ever made. He entered his office and Lydia handed him a stack of memos and messages he received since he'd been out. He asked her to hold all calls for him and went to his desk to review his notes. Sitting in his chair, Draco looked out the window instead to enjoy the fantastic cityscape outside. He had a hard time concentrating and wondered if he should have just taken the rest of the day off and enjoyed the game. He'd earned it, after all.

A short knock, and Lydia entered his office. "Sir, Mrs. Malfoy is here to see you."

"I don't need to be announced," Narcissa said imperiously as she stepped around Lydia to enter Draco's office. Narcissa was the picture of elegance today in dove gray silk robes and a matching clutch purse. Gray pearl earrings and pearl and silver hair pins completed the look.

"Mother? What are you doing here?" Draco asked, standing up to greet her. Lydia silently left his office and closed the door to give them privacy.

"I'm your mother. Do I need a reason to come visit my son at his office?" Narcissa said as she accepted a kiss on her cheek. "Now what is this I hear about you and Miss Granger?"

Draco smirked. "I thought you had no reason to come visit your son."

"Now who told you that?" Narcissa said, smiling. "So tell me about you and Miss Granger."

"We're dating, didn't I tell you?"

"Stop joking, Draco. I'm serious."

"And so am I. We just had lunch, in fact. It's a good thing you didn't try to catch me earlier."

"Really?" Narcissa smiled. "I'm impressed, Miss Granger must be someone special. I didn't know you had lunch these days unless it's dealing with business."

"Anyone I date is special," Draco said arrogantly. "Else I wouldn't bother dating them."

"You're as modest as your father," Narcissa said wryly. "You're just like him when it comes to business, too."

"Speaking of business," Draco began. He went back around his desk and pulled out the contract from a drawer. "This is for you. You didn't tell me that you agreed to plan the Weasley-Lovegood wedding."

"Yes, Swinton failed to mention that tidbit, too, last we spoke," Narcissa said with disapproval. "I'm going to have a few words with that man the next time we speak. That is, of course, if he ever finds the courage to speak to me again!"

"You'll be interested to know I'm going to be in this wedding, too, as Hermione's escort."

"If my son's going to be in this wedding, then I'd better make sure it's the wedding of the century. Now tell me, how long have you been seeing Miss Granger?"

"Hermione, Mother," Draco corrected. "And we haven't been dating long. But seeing as it's Hermione that I'm dating, we thought it best to keep it under wraps for a while."

"She's different from your usual," Narcissa observed.

Draco shrugged indifferently. "I got bored with my usual and figured it was time for a change."

"Bring her over for dinner some time," Narcissa ordered. "I'd like to meet her."

Draco nodded. "I'll talk to her and get back to you. She can't tonight, though. Potter and Ginny Weasley are going away for a week and Hermione is joining them for dinner before they leave."

"Fair enough. I have an appointment with Lovegood tomorrow morning at Troodle's so I might have the opportunity to meet her then."

"Just don't start interrogating her," Draco replied.

"Now would I do that?" Narcissa asked innocently.

Draco laughed. "Of course you would."

"I should have done so with that Midgeon chit. Then perhaps I could have prevented you from dating that one," Narcissa remarked.

"We're not talking to her anymore," Draco said coldly. "She insulted Hermione."

"So I should give her the cold shoulder?" Narcissa asked, interested. She was even more curious about Miss Granger after Draco gave her a short nod in agreement. "Well, that shouldn't be too difficult." Narcissa stood up again and placed the contract inside her purse. "I have to get going if I'm going to be planning this wedding. Will I be seeing you at dinner?"

"Of course. I might even be early."

Narcissa smiled warmly. "I don't believe you, but it's a nice gesture. See you tonight, dear." They exchanged kisses again and Narcissa left.

That evening, Hermione and the gang were having dinner at The Leaky Cauldron to celebrate the Cannons' unexpected win. Ron was regaling a small crowd with a play-by-play recounting of the Cannons' fantastic game play and capture of the snitch as Harry ordered a round of drinks for everyone. Luna and Ginny were perusing the menu in a corner, and Harry took the time to speak to Hermione alone. As they waited at the bar for the drinks, Harry turned to Hermione. "I spoke to Ron and heard that Malfoy was at the game today," Harry commented.

"I really didn't know he was going to be there," Hermione was quick to tell him. "I wasn't trying to hide him or anything."

"I know, I don't doubt it was Ginny's idea. But I wanted to tell you I still don't trust him, but I won't stop you from seeing him, either," Harry told her seriously. "Ron seems to think he has good intentions. I won't believe that until I see it, but I'll try to give him the benefit of the doubt."

Hermione beamed. "Thanks, Harry." She enveloped him in a hug, glad to know that they were going to be all right.

The next morning, Harry woke up Ginny from her slumber. "Wake up, Gin, we're going home," Harry practically snapped.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked sleepily.

Harry thrust a newspaper at her instead. "We have to go kill a newspaper reporter."

That very same morning, Hermione awoke to an owl pecking at her window. She, too, received a newspaper along with a note from Draco. "Granger, we need to talk," Hermione read aloud. Mystified, she put the note down and took a look at the newspaper instead. She looked disbelievingly at a photo of her and Draco at the Quidditch match yesterday. Someone must have spied them talking at that eatery just before Midgeon interrupted them. Then she took a look at the headline and her mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh no…"

Luna was happily shaking a sleeping Ron awake. "Wah?" Ron said unintelligibly.

"We should plan a double wedding!" Luna informed him gaily just before showing him the same newspaper article.

Ron's blurred eyes finally focused on the object Luna handed to him. What he read had him jerking up to a sitting position.

* * *

_**A MALFOY-GRANGER WEDDING IN THE WORKS? **_**DAILY SOCIETY****_ HAS THE SCOOP!_**

_By Imelda Quinby_

_Staff Writer_

_Draco Malfoy, Britain's most eligible bachelor, was spotted gadding about town with Harry Potter chum, Hermione Granger, in tow. Are they the next "It" couple among the younger set?_

"_Hermione herself told me they were having a secret affair," Natalie Mitchum, a waitress at The Quarter Note revealed. "She was really jealous when she thought I was having a flirt with her man."_

_Followers of the _Daily Society's Potter Chronicles _column may recall that The Quarter Note is where songstress Mrs. Ginny Potter can be heard singing most nights. What many may not know is that the popular jazz club is actually owned by a close family friend of the Malfoys. Could this be where our hot couple became reacquainted?_

_Our sources found them having an intimate dinner for two at the latest Malfoy venture, the Sea Cliff, and even taking in a Quidditch match where Harry Potter served as announcer. Yes, you read that correctly, Readers. Old school rivals, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, seemed to have buried the hatchet thanks to new love, Hermione Granger. _

"_That's right. The couple reserved a suite at the game for themselves and Harry Potter's closest friends," Edgar Tuppington, manager of Hatfield Stadium, confirmed._

_Hermione Granger seems to have incited other strong emotions in Draco, too. Unconfirmed reports have revealed that a tussle with a former beau also took place at the game. The mysterious beau is said to be former Slytherin housemate, Adrian Pucey, a professional fighter for the Flinchton Bruisers._

"_Yeah, I saw it," spectator Lucas McIlvoight said. "That Malfoy roughed up the other fellow pretty good. We all heard it. He told the guy to stay away from his girlfriend. Guess he'll know better next time not to mess with Malfoy's girl."_

_And that's not all, Readers! We hear Troodles on the West End has been reserved for an entire morning especially for esteemed wedding and event planner Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy for the very next day. Could all of this mean that this newfound romance is leading to wedding bells in Draco and Hermione's future? Only time will tell and _Daily Society_ will have the latest!_

_For more on Harry and Friends' views of the new Malfoy-Granger romance, see _Daily Society's Potter Chronicles_ on page two._

_Go to page twelve for a photo collage of Draco and Hermione through the years._

Daily Society_ examines a possible Malfoy-Granger romantic timeline on page fourteen._

* * *

"I'm going to kill that Quinby!" Ron vowed. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize from the _Harry Potter_ books or movies belongs to me!

**A/N:** Thank you for reading and for your reviews!

* * *

In a cabin somewhere in the Alps, Harry was furiously packing his things, muttering all the while as Ginny sat up in bed watching him. "Harry, this is ridiculous. What do you think you can do? It's just an article. We have an entire column to ourselves that practically chronicles our lives on a weekly basis, and I don't see you getting this upset about it."

Harry stopped in mid-action to look up in Ginny's direction. "But that's different."

Ginny smiled. "I'd really like to hear your reasons on how this is different." Ginny sat up straighter and crossed her arms.

"Because I love you, and it's okay if other people read about how much I love you. But I really don't want to hear any kind of article that says Hermione could be happy with that git!"

Ginny laughed. "So you're upset that Imelda Quinby implies Hermione's happy?"

"Yes. No! I mean, I, er…she just has no right to invade Hermione's privacy like that," Harry finally said. He dropped a sock and plopped down on an arm chair situated in the room.

"What's this really about?" Ginny asked him gently.

He slumped his shoulders. "I made a promise to myself after Ron and then again after Pucey that I wouldn't let Hermione get hurt again, but I keep failing her."

"Harry, it's not your fault. And there's no guarantee that Draco is going to hurt her," Ginny said.

"But it's Malfoy! It's inevitable!"

"You're just being prejudiced against him," Ginny told him. "I know Hermione appreciates that you care, but she really can take care of herself."

"And there's this other article, too," Harry finally admitted. "I picked up both papers from the hotel lobby this morning. But I didn't want to show you the other one since I sort of promised you I'd quit reading _The Daily Prophet_ while we're on vacation."

Ginny frowned. "Harry, you're supposed to be avoiding work while we're here. It's the whole reason why we're on vacation." Harry was a part-time researcher for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and read _The Daily Prophet _faithfully every morning to stay on top of current events.

"But you didn't see this article," Harry added in his defense.

"Was it something by Rita Skeeter? Because you know it's nothing but lies," Ginny said in disapproval.

"You don't even know what she said!"

"As I said, I know enough to know anything she writes is full of lies," Ginny replied. She picked up the newspaper anyway and snorted in amusement. "So Hermione's pregnant, which is apparently a miracle due to Draco's impotence."

"Just watch, Pucey's going to come out with an article that Hermione's carrying his love child," Harry said sarcastically.

Ginny read on and turned to the next page to continue reading the article. "Actually, you're too late. He's already done that."

Harry snatched the newspaper back to read that for himself. "He can't do that! That's slander!"

"Slander? So you want Hermione to sue now?"

"I don't know, but if she does, Hermione will find a way to convince the courts she's right!" Harry said firmly. "You know, that's a good idea. I think we should sue the pants off this whole newspaper -- Skeeter and Pucey too!"

"Now you're just acting irrational," Ginny told him. Harry looked indignant. "Honestly, Harry, I think you're overprotective behavior about Hermione lately isn't really about Hermione at all."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked in bewilderment.

"You've been restless lately, and I think work's not as exciting as it once was in the beginning," Ginny informed him. "You should have been an auror, not a researcher."

"After the war, the last thing I wanted to do was go out in the field again," Harry said bleakly. "But lately, I don't know. I don't think I'm used to a normal life."

"Try shadowing an auror and see what you think before you decide," Ginny suggested. "Or you can try working for the Department of Magical Games and Sports on a full-time basis. You might like it better."

"I guess I am ready for a change," Harry admitted, suddenly excited by the idea of a different life. He gave Ginny a hug. "Thanks, Gin. You're the only one I can count on to bring me back down when I'm off on a tangent."

"So I assume we're no longer in a rush to leave?" Ginny asked, smiling.

"Well, maybe we can stay a few more days." Harry suddenly stood up. "Let's go skiboarding! I want to see how different a flying snowboard is from a broom."

Gin perked up at the thought. "Okay."

Ron was still complaining about the article as Luna rummaged for something to wear. "Do I dress up, you think?" Luna wondered aloud. "I think I should ask Hermione. She'll know what to do. Hey, maybe we can find out if Draco's proposed."

"I'm not sharing our day! And they're not getting married!" Ron said once again.

Luna shrugged primly. "Anything's possible. You seemed to like him at the game yesterday."

"Not enough to want him as a permanent fixture in our group!"

Luna simply turned back toward him and gave him another peck on the cheek. "Go have breakfast. You're always so grouchy in the mornings."

Ron grumbled to himself, but didn't argue with Luna, since it was true. He never could understand how Luna could be so _cheerful_ upon waking up. It was unnatural. Ron got up and slammed the door to the bathroom shut as Luna continued humming. She wondered what time to meet Hermione at Troodle's, or if Hermione was even coming after all.

Back at home, Draco winced as Hermione continued her rant over the floo.

"It was supposed to be a simple charade for my friends. Why did it have to be so, so, _complicated_!" Hermione practically wailed the last word.

"Granger, when I said we need to talk, I didn't mean go into full panic mode," Draco responded, sighing.

"But what am I going to do? I was supposed to go to Troodle's with Luna this morning. Now if I go people are going to think I'm getting married! But how am I supposed to do wedding things with Luna if everyone's going to start speculating that it's all a cover-up for our own secret nuptials!" Hermione fretted as she paced across the fire place.

Draco was actually getting a little dizzy watching Hermione's face glide back and forth from one end of the floo to the other. "Imelda Quinby may have gotten the wrong idea about us, but she's pretty honorable. As you've noticed, she didn't get any of her facts wrong," Draco pointed out.

"But still," Hermione sniffed. "I worked too hard to stay out of the spotlight for it all to be ruined by something like this. I have to do something about this."

Draco couldn't understand why she was all emotional and panicky. "Okay, so we do some minor damage control. What's the big deal?" Suddenly, it dawned on him. "Oh, it's your little witch's time, isn't it? Look, why don't you rest and take a potion-"

Hermione glared daggers at him over the floo. "Don't you dare finish that sentence! No, it's not a woman's thing!" she practically screeched. "What is it with you boys? Just like Ron! Every time I get a little worried over something, it's got to be a feminine-"

"I told you, stop comparing me to him!" Draco now interrupted, annoyed, too.

"And I told you to quit acting so juvenile!" Hermione retorted.

"I'm not being juvenile," Draco countered. "But all I'm saying is that this is really not that big of a deal."

"So what's this brilliant plan of yours?" Hermione challenged. "Because I took care of Skeeter, and I can take of her, too."

"Not much of a plan, really. Just don't talk to the press, don't confirm or deny anything, and ignore them."

"But that's not going to make them stop. Harry and I already tried that, and look what Rita Skeeter did," Hermione said.

"But she eventually stopped," Draco mentioned.

"Of course she did, after I threatened and blackmailed her!" Hermione snapped.

"Oh really?" Draco said, interested. "So there's a Slytherin side to you after all."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Slytherin? Draco, really. It's not like we're in Hogwarts anymore."

"But you have to admit those actions are worthy of a Slytherin," Draco added. He continued when Hermione didn't respond. "All I'm saying is that if we don't give them anything to work with, they'll eventually lose interest. At the very least, by not responding to it ourselves, we're not contributing to making it worse."

"I suppose," Hermione said reluctantly. "But just yesterday I was thinking it would be a good idea if we stepped back a little. I don't want things to get out of hand. Just say that yes, we're dating, but we're really not that serious. I mean, who says that we're even exclusive. If we make this more casual, then there are a lot less expectations from my friends, and maybe this will help the press back off a little."

Draco frowned. "I don't know what kind of reputation you think I've got, but I'm not a serial dater."

"So they don't have to know that," Hermione said. "No one would be surprised, considering it's you and me."

"I don't want that kind of reputation. I may date casually, but even then it's usually just one girl at a time. Wait a minute. Or is this for you? Do you want to back out? Is there some guy you're wanting to date now, but I'm in the way?" Draco was actually a little incensed at the idea of this fictional guy he was getting 'dumped' for.

"Don't be stupid. If I was into some guy, don't you think I would have used that guy instead of you in this little charade?"

"Maybe you met him after you already mentioned my name," Draco decided, still a little peeved. "Well, you can forget it! I'm in this thing now, and if you want to date someone, you're not dropping me for it!"

"Oh calm down. There's no guy," Hermione said with some annoyance.

"Good, because I'm not doing you this favor just to have you change your mind."

"Stop bringing that up! I didn't even ask you to do this for me!" Hermione protested angrily.

"You should have thought of that before you used my name!" Draco shouted.

"Really Draco, is that any way for you to be talking to your fiance?" Narcissa said as her head, too, popped into the floo. "Wouldn't want to upset the baby, now would you?" Her tinkling laughter could be heard through the floo.

Draco turned to see that his mother had picked up the floo from his other room. "Mother! What are you doing here? How long have you been eavesdropping?"

"I didn't hear a word, darling, just all the shouting and I had to investigate. Good morning, Miss Granger. Will you be joining us at Troodles?" Narcissa asked pleasantly as Draco clenched his jaw in annoyance.

"She's not my fiance," Draco practically pouted.

Hermione wasn't sure whether to be nervous that she was talking to Draco's mother, who thought Hermione was actually dating her son, or to be annoyed at Draco, who was being a pest as well as acting like a spoilt little child wanting his mummy's attention. "Good morning Mrs. Malfoy, please excuse your son. He's just reacting badly to my idea that we step back a little until this press dies down. By the way, did you just say BABY?!"

"Oh, don't let a silly little article or two get in your way. I find it amusing, actually," Narcissa interceded, smiling.

"That's what I told her," Draco spoke up.

Both women ignored him. "The _Daily Society_ didn't say anything about a baby!" Hermione protested.

"You didn't see the other article in _The Daily Prophet_? They released a special edition insert with photos and quotes. There's speculation that you carry Draco's love child."

"I am not pregnant!"

"Of course, they also have quotes from Eloise Midgeon, who swears that it couldn't possibly be Draco's child, since Draco is impotent," Narcissa laughed.

"Impotent! I'm going to destroy that witch!" Draco vowed, completely insulted. "No one dares call me impotent!"

"Oh, I picked up the mail for you, Draco," Narcissa remembered. "You received several brochures from some prominent impotency specialists. And what shall I do about the cards from well-wishers?"

"Burn them!" Draco immediately replied.

"But how are they getting all of this so soon?" Hermione asked, upset. "No one even knew about this just two days ago."

"I really don't know. But I'm sure _The Daily Prophet_ only joined in on this to keep up with _ Daily Society_. You know Skeeter is always in competition with Quinby for readership," Narcissa remarked.

"I just don't get why all the attention?" Hermione said.

"Well, you and Draco did assist in vanquishing the Dark Lord. And now that your friends are getting married, the two of you are the remaining members of the group who remain single. There's bound to be excitement and speculation now that it's been revealed the two of you are seeing each other," Narcissa explained kindly.

"Draco was talking about ignoring the press in hopes that they will leave us alone," Hermione said.

"I'll leave it up to the two of you to decide what's best. Or hire a press secretary as I do. Draco has the contact information if you are interested," Narcissa said. "I'm off to Troodle's in half an hour if you're interested in joining us, Hermione."

"Thanks Mrs. Malfoy. I might see you soon," Hermione responded.

"Draco, I just came by to drop off your briefcase. I left it here in your study," Narcissa told him.

Draco nodded absently as Narcissa disconnected from the floo. He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Pucey! It's got to be him. He's still mad that I hit him!" Draco declared.

"But that doesn't make much sense," Hermoine said. "The article mentioned that you hit him at the game yesterday. Adrian's too egotistical to allow himself to be talked down like that in the press."

"I still say it's him," Draco said stubbornly.

"Well, why can't it be Midgeon? She's approached twice in the past two days and obviously wasn't thrilled about the two of us," Hermione suggested.

"I don't know. She doesn't seem like the type who'd be clever enough to start something like this," Draco dismissed.

"Don't underestimate us girls. We're much more clever than you think. Which reminds me, I'm going to have to go through with my blackmail of Skeeter now for printing such lies about me. I can't believe she would say such a thing! Do I look pregnant to you?" Hermione seethed.

"Do you want me to answer that?" Draco smirked.

"Oh shut it!"

Rita seethed as she got her first look at _Daily Society_'s article. Just how did they get a photo of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger at the game? "Creevey? You're not doing your job! Where's our photo?"

Colin hurried to Rita Skeeter's desk back at the newspaper office. "I'm sorry Ms. Skeeter, I lost them in the crowd," he explained anxiously. "I caught up with them just as they left. But I did manage to get that interview with Eloise Midgeon for you."

"She's just the ex-girlfriend," Rita said dismissively. "It would have been juicier to get an actual exclusive with the new couple."

"At least Imelda Quinby couldn't get it either,' Colin pointed out, more confident now that he realized he wasn't in trouble as badly as he first thought.

"Do we have people posted outside Hermione Granger's home? I want to know the minute they spot her. I'm going to Troodle's to see what I can dig up," Rita informed. "And take pictures!" Colin complied without hesitation.

Hermione apparated to Luna's place so that they could go to Troodle's together. She found directions, but didn't feel comfortable about apparating to a place she'd never been before.

"Hermione! I thought we were meeting at the restaurant," Luna greeted with a hug.

"I thought you might like to go together," Hermione said.

"I read the article from _Daily Society _and I think it's all very exciting!" Luna told her.

"Don't get your hopes up, because there's no way that Draco and I are ready for that kind of decision."

"Ha!" Ron shouted from the kitchen. "I told you she'd never marry him!"

"Ronald, it's impolite to talk with your mouth full!" Luna shouted back as they approached the kitchen. Ron didn't say anything, merely crunching on his cereal. He seemed to be in a very chipper mood now that Hermione confirmed that she and Draco weren't that serious.

"Did you see the other article?" Hermione asked. "Be prepared in case people ask you. _The Daily Prophet_ thinks there's a debate going on about whether the father of my baby is Draco or Adrian. And no, I'm not pregnant!"

"Must be Skeeter. You going to reveal she's an unregistered animagus?" Luna asked.

"I think I'll have to," Hermione replied.

"Unless she's doing this now because she finally registered," Ron pointed out. "I hear the Ministry just made some big ruling about illegal animaguses. If they register by a certain date, they won't be prosecuted for their past illegal status."

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Hermione said, down. Ron could be wrong, but it made too much sense. "I'll just have to do some research and get some more dirt on her."

"I'll help!" Luna volunteered. Ron readily agreed.

"You know, it's a good thing Harry is out of the country. He'd pitch a fit if he heard about this," Hermione remarked.

"I got a call from him this morning. He couldn't talk long since they're going skiboarding, but he says that he wants to brainstorm for ideas on what to do about the situation when he gets back," Ron told her.

"Ginny says she talked Harry out of leaving early," Luna told her. "She says you can thank her later." Hermione smiled in relief. "I want to go skiboarding," Luna suddenly said. "Ron, do you want to go there for our honeymoon instead?"

"I don't know. I don't think I want to be cold."

"Well, I suppose broom surfing is sort of the same as skiboarding," Luna decided. "And I hear Hawaii is very pretty."

"There's a wizarding community in Hawaii?" Hermione asked.

"Not a very big one, but there are a whole series of islands there that are just for wizards," Ron said.

"Maybe I should travel more," Hermione said.

"You should get Draco to take you. I hear he's got a huge hotel over there," Luna said. Hermione gave a noncommittal answer. She seriously doubted that would ever happen. Once Luna was ready to leave, they headed out of the door and made it in no time to Troodle's. They decided to use a back entrance in case there was any media attention at the front door. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea, and a large crowd had centered around the back of the restaurant. Hermione sighed as cameras flashed all around her and people began talking all at once.

"Hermione! I think it's brave of you to raise the baby on your own!"

"I'd be happy to be the father of your baby!"

"If you're not dating Draco anymore, can I have his number?"

"Wait, but I thought you were marrying Draco Malfoy?"

"No, that's Adrian Pucey, her ex, that she's marrying."

"Don't give up on Draco! There are potions he can take now…"

Luna giggled at some of the more absurd responses as she was pushed inside along with Hermione by Troodle's security. "I'll handle this," he said. Hermione turned to thank the guard, but turned in surprise to find that it wasn't security after all.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your well-wishes, but my fiancée and I would like some privacy at this time," Adrian said, flashing a charming grin.

"See I told you she was pregnant with his child," someone told another.

"Well, I can't really talk about that, but let's just say that I love children and hope to be a father and husband some day in the near future," Adrian said with a sly wink. More questions were rushed his way. Hermione stared in shock at the impromptu press conference that seemed to be taking place before her very eyes.

"Are you crazy! You must be delusional if you think I would _ever_ consider marrying you! And I'm not pregnant!!"

"Go Hermione!" someone called.

"That's right, fight for Draco! He's a much better catch!" another person chimed in.

Hermione turned as she was tapped on the shoulder. She wasn't surprised to find that Rita Skeeter had somehow managed to get inside Troodle's. "I can make all of this go away. Just give me an exclusive interview," she said. "But ignore or threaten me, and I'll only make sure it gets worse."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the presence of Narcissa Malfoy. "If you want to keep your job, I suggest you retract those words," Narcissa said in an icy tone. "Now you are trespassing. This establishment has been reserved for a private appointment."

Rita glared at Narcissa but left anyway. "Don't think this is the last you'll hear of me!"

"Thanks Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione said gratefully.

"So what do you want to do about that boy holding court outside?" she asked.

"Any ideas?" Luna asked.

Narcissa suddenly had a gleam in her eyes. Hermione thought it looked quite familiar, having seen it on Draco a few times. "I think I have a few," Narcissa said with a smile. Hermione tilted her head in curiosity.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Nothing from the _Harry Potter_ world belongs to me!

**A/N:** Thank you for reading my story! I had some trouble with this one, so hopefully this won't disappoint. Happy reading. :)

* * *

"Watch out!" Ginny shrieked.

Startled, Harry turned around mid-flight. "What?"

"Stop! The tree! The tree!"

"Ahh!" Harry turned face forward just in time to get knocked off his board. Seeing as how he was less than a foot off the ground and had already slowed to a walking pace, there wasn't much of a fall to worry over. "Gin! That was _not_ a tree!"

"Well, a baby tree then," Ginny amended. Like a pro, Ginny came to a smooth stop next to Harry, who was sprawled on the ground. Hopping off her skiboard, she knelt down to check and see if the tree was all right.

"Sapling. The word you're looking for is a sapling," Harry emphasized.

"Well it still smacked you, didn't it?" Ginny retorted as she ran a finger over a leaf.

"I would have flown over it if you hadn't distracted me," Harry countered.

"Poor tree," Ginny murmured.

"Hey, I'm your husband," Harry pointed out.

"Yes," Ginny agreed.

There was a brief moment of silence. "Well aren't you going to show me some sympathy?" Harry finally said, a bit put out.

"Haven't you taken worse falls while playing quidditch?" Ginny asked.

"That's not the point!"

Ginny laughed. "Okay, I'm sorry. Do you want me to get you some crutches? How about a muggle wheelchair?"

"Ha ha," Harry said sarcastically. "I'm so touched by your wifely show of concern."

Gin helped him up and together they retrieved his skiboard, which was on the ground a few feet away. "Thatwas fun," she remarked. "Do you think we should try harder slopes?"

"Only if you don't scream 'The Tree! The Tree!' to me again. Reminds me of _Fantasy Island_."

"What?" Ginny was confused by the reference.

"An old muggle program. But don't worry about it," Harry assured.

"Well what if you're about to smack into a tree again?" Ginny pointed out reasonably. "I'd hate for you to hurt yourself."

"At least you're showing me sympathy and not the tree!"

Ginny smiled. "We should plan a group trip here. I think it would be fun."

"Hey, this gives me an idea. We can strap Rita Skeeter to a skiboard and refuse to let her go until she does exactly as we tell her to," Harry said.

"Wouldn't it be easier to threaten her like you've done in the past?" Ginny asked.

"It didn't work too well last time, did it?" Harry replied.

"Since she's so into starting rumors about us, what if we start one about her?" Ginny suggested.

"You might be onto something," Harry said. "Any ideas?"

"We should talk to Ron about it next time we call," Ginny said.

"Maybe when the twins get back, they'll give us a hand," Harry commented.

"If we're looking to start something, I say we talk to Draco and get his thoughts on it. Living with Lucius Malfoy, he's bound to have some ideas."

"We'll see," Harry said cautiously. He gave her a hand as she stepped back onto her board.

On the West End, the crowd eagerly pressed around Adrian Pucey as he regaled them with another story of his 'fairy tale' courtship of Hermione. Upset on her friend's behalf, Luna was quite eager to hear what Mrs. Malfoy had to say. After all, Draco had to learn his sneakiness from someone, and she suspected that a lot of people underestimated Mrs. Malfoy. "So what are your suggestions about dealing with Pucey?" Luna asked.

"Well, there's the usual blackmail, public humiliation, and physical bodily harm. We could hurt his career, ruin his finances, start a rumor questioning his masculinity…" Narcissa continued speaking as Luna eagerly wondered if there was a way to do all of them at once.

"Is there anything immediate that we could do to get rid of him now?" Hermione interrupted. "All of those suggestions sound lovely, but most take some time to plan out."

"Oh." Narcissa suddenly looked extremely disappointed.

"Not to say that we can't do those things too, just, you know, later," Hermione added upon seeing her so unhappy.

"Good thinking," Narcissa said with approval. "It will give me time to think of some of the other ploys I've used on Lucius when we were courting," Narcissa announced. "But if all you wanted to do was get rid of him, we can at least start people talking. I suppose we can do something typical for now. I'm partial to red myself. Or do you prefer pink? Maybe blue?"

"Er, red is fine," Hermione said in confusion.

Narcissa aimed her wand in Adrian's direction and murmured a spell. Hermione couldn't see that it did much, in her opinion. Adrian was still talking to the crowd, who were still listening raptly to his every word. When she was finished, Narcissa said another spell, which had the crowd gasping. Luna started giggling as Adrian's trousers fell down along with his heavy coat and his robes turned transparent. Hermione was stunned as the robes now revealed Narcissa's handy spellwork.

Adrian looked down and gasped himself. He was now dressed in a red lacey bra and thong set, which was definitely _not_ what he put on this morning! Quickly grabbing for his troushers as he backed himself against the wall (he couldn't exactly turn around, now could he?), he finally apparated himself away to save himself from further embarrassment.

"Wow, who'd have thought?"

"No wonder she left him if that's his idea of proper attire."

"Is he a sexual deviant, you suppose?"

Hermione was amused at some of the murmurs of the crowd as they dispersed.

"Well that was fun," Narcissa said pleasantly.

"Thanks, Mrs. Malfoy!" Hermione was relieved that the crowd was gone.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who was relieved. "Is it safe to come out?" A timid voice asked from behind a counter. Hermione was startled. She had no idea they weren't alone in the restaurant.

"Of course it's safe. Now where are the proprietors? I am never kept waiting," Narcissa spoke.

An older gentleman with a shock of white hair and wire spectacles stood up from his crouched position. "My daughters will be here soon. There was a minor emergency at home and I was sent here to wait for you."

Narcissa was genuinely puzzled. "What emergency could possibly be more important than my appointment?"

The old man slumped his shoulders. "I didn't mean to. It was just a small explosion," he said weakly.

"What did you explode?" Hermione asked politely.

"My grandson."

"What?!" Even Luna looked shocked.

"He's two, you see," he said, as though that explained everything.

"You unusual man," Narcissa declared. " Tell your daughters that I will not take my business to someone whose father routinely combusts their grandchildren!"

"Father! What have you been telling these ladies!" A pretty woman in her thirties burst through the back room.

"Ella! Tell them the explosion was an accident," the old man pleaded with his daughter.

"We will discuss this at home!" Ella pushed her father through the back door. Hermione could hear some fussing and lecturing. A sharp crack later indicated that the gentleman must have left. "I am so sorry to keep you waiting!" Ella apologized as she hurried to join them in the front room.

"What is this about your father exploding children?" Narcissa demanded.

Ella frowned. "He thought it might be fun to take my nephew to visit the joke shop on Diagon Alley."

Narcissa raised her hand. "No need to say more. My Lucius committed the same crime when my son was that age."

"There is an age restriction at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," Hermione was quick to point out. Luna nodded in agreement.

"Well my father thought it was nonsense and argued his way past the door," the woman named Ella explained, shaking her head.

"Fred and George have the age restriction for a reason," Luna said seriously. "I hope your nephew is fine."

"No harm done," Ella assured. "It was just quite loud," she added with a chuckle.

"Well, I know that Fred and George are working on a children's section to their store," Hermione said.

"Let's just hope they finish soon before my father gets anymore ideas!" Ella said fervently. "Now what can I do for you today?"

Once they were able to get down to business, time seemed to fly relatively quickly. Luna proceeded to explain the situation to Ella while Narcissa provided her input and directions. Hermione decided that her role was more supportive in nature, so just agreed when appropriate or diplomatically offered alternative suggestions for some of Luna's more "creative" ideas. Narcissa was a big help with this.

Hermione was pleased to find that Narcissa didn't even bat an eye when Luna said she thought it would be fun to decorate the garden with multi-colored mushrooms and rocks for the ceremony for a more whimsical theme. "The Winchells already did that last year, dear, for their daughter's birthday. If you're interested in color and whimsy, I know a gentleman who raises singing wildflowers. If we order enough, he will offer the dancing butterflies for free."

In no time at all, Narcissa had assisted Luna in planning a very successful pre-wedding affair. Hermione had to admit that hiring Narcissa was a great idea. Some of Mrs. Malfoy's suggestions were more practical as well as more elegant. Hermione found herself wishing that she had been available back when they were planning Harry and Ginny's wedding. Ella served them lunch while they made plans and scheduled dates for a tasting and menu selection.

It was well past noon before their appointment was finished and Hermione was exhausted. Luna looked at the clock and gasped. "I'm late! So sorry Mrs. Malfoy, but can I call tomorrow to schedule another time? I'm late for a standing appointment." Luna and Ron typically spent Saturday afternoons with Luna's father, who took his few moments with his daughter seriously, and Ron was already considered a member of the family in his eyes.

"That's fine. If I don't answer, my secretary will assist you. It was wonderful to meet you," Narcissa told her with a charming smile.

"I had a great time," Luna said sincerely. "Thank you so much for helping me with the wedding!"

"I enjoy it," Narcissa assured. "If you have any questions, please floo me any time."

"Hermione, did you want to join Ron and me?" Luna offered.

"Oh, you two go ahead. I will catch up with you later," Hermione replied. With a quick wave, Luna apparated away and Hermione was left alone with Narcissa.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Hermione," Narcissa said once they were alone.

"I had a great time. I enjoyed watching you at work."

"Lucius always told me that I had a flare for it," Narcissa commented. "So what are you plans for this weekend?"

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing serious. I plan to thoroughly relax this weekend."

"There's a charity dinner tonight at the Sea Cliff. You should come," Narcissa invited.

"Is that the event Imelda Quinby is covering?" Hermione asked. "We ran into her a couple of nights ago and she mentioned some kind of charity event being held there. What's the charity?"

"It's to raise funds for a scholarship program for Hogwarts. Draco was gracious enough to offer the Sea Cliff's services for the cause," Narcissa informed.

"You know, I'm surprised that Hogwarts didn't already have a scholarship program in place," Hermione remarked.

"Nothing official," Narcissa replied. "Most alumni contribute to Hogwarts, but a group of ladies thought an official scholarship fund was more appropriate."

"I'd love to come," Hermione agreed, thinking that a scholarship program would have been a big help to many families, such as the Weasleys, had there been opportunities available. Narcissa offered to have a carriage sent Hermione's way for the evening, but Hermione declined, opting to apparate there instead. She wondered what one was supposed to wear for one of these events, but supposed that her trusty black dress robes would have to do.

Since it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, Hermione decided to explore the West End while she had the time. On impulse, she stepped into a posh hair dresser's salon for a trim. A young witch perhaps only a few years older than Hermione herself was catering to another customer, so Hermione decided to look around as she waited. Bright gold and earth tones were the primary color scheme, with ivy plants and bright coral and white flowers adorning most surfaces and corners. Cozy arm chairs and a love seat were situated in the foyer. Complimentary biscuits, hot tea, and other treats also were offered for all guests.

She was just considering the tea when Hermione realized that it was now her turn. The young witch, whose name turned out to be Cora, approached Hermione with a bright smile. "Miss Granger, we are pleased to have you here. How can we help you today?"

"I was just passing by and thought I'd stop for a trim." Hermione was unsurprised that the girl seemed to recognize her, since it happened often enough since the war ended.

"Of course, this way, please." Cora bypassed all the available hair stations positioned out front and escorted her down a private hallway instead. In confusion Hermione glanced at the empty chairs and the hairdressers, who were looking in their direction and gossiping. "We serve all 'special' customers elsewhere," Cora informed.

"Well, it's just a trim…" Hermione began, but let her voice fade as she realized that Cora wasn't really listening anyway.

"Mrs. Wood will be so pleased to know you have stopped by," Cora commented with some excitement herself. "She will be so disappointed that she missed you. She's always telling us about all that you've done for Oliver during the war, and everything."

"Mrs. Wood? You mean Oliver Wood's mother?"

"Actually, his aunt. She says she didn't get a chance to talk to you after you saved Oliver in the final battle, but she's very grateful."

"Oh, how is Oliver doing these days?" Hermione asked, her smile warming.

"He's much better now. The healers even have hope that he can walk soon!"

"That's great news! Is he still living in France?"

Cora blushed. "Yes. We're actually engaged. I'm leaving in a few weeks to join him in France after we marry."

"Oh! Congratulations! A friend of mine is getting married in early spring, so I can imagine all of the preparations you must have left to do." Hermione gushed. "Please send my best wishes to Oliver."

"Thank you, I will. Well, here we are. Have a seat anywhere and someone will be here to help you soon." Hermione thanked Cora and poured herself a cup of tea as she waited. In no time at all, she was greeted by a surprisingly conservatively dressed hair stylist, who actually complied with her wishes for a slight trim. She learned to "embrace" her curls rather than trying to smooth them down as she preferred.

"You have beautiful curls, if only you would care for them," he admonished. Hermione happily complied if that meant her hair could actually look on-purpose for once. A few spells every night before bed helped to tame her morning bed-head and reduced the amount of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion that she required most mornings when she needed to look "presentable" for work for some special case.

Overall, Hermione let the hair salon in high spirits. The wind had picked up while she had been indoors, so Hermione decided to cut the rest of her shopping and exploring for another day. She pulled her robes closer to her frame and decided to apparate home. Hermione rang her parents once she got home as was her usual weekend routine and pulled out an old manicure set she received once as a Christmas present to re-do her nails. Once her nails were filed, polished, and dried, she absently rubbed Crookshanks' head as she wondered what to do with the rest of her time as she waited for the evening dinner party.

Draco dropped his quill and pushed himself back from his desk. He was bored and tired of working. His secretary looked relieved at the prospect of a break, however brief, and hesitantly moved to stand and re-arrange his papers as he silently hoped to hear those magic words from Mr. Malfoy. "Tuppin, have the rest of the day off." Henry was in a state of ecstatic shock. He was hoping for a 15-minute breather, but the idea of an entire afternoon off was a pleasant surprise.

"Yes sir, thank you sir," Henry said quickly before his employer could possibly change his mind. In two minutes he had his work straightened and ready to be reviewed again on Monday. In another three minutes, he was happily home enjoying a nice glass of butterbeer.

As soon as Tuppin left, Draco paced in front of the floo contemplating his options. He could call her or he could get back to work. In the end, he called Pansy instead. "Hello? Mommy look who's in the fire!"

"Hazel! What did Mummy say about answering the floo?" Pansy gently reprimanded.

"But it was just this once," the little girl insisted.

"You said that yesterday, too," Pansy said wryly. "Why don't you go play upstairs?" Hazel must have agreed, because Draco didn't see her anymore. "Draco! What a nice surprise."

"I see Hazel's got your hands full," Draco commented. "It's frightening how much she looks like you."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Pansy said primly. She carefully lowered herself onto a chair nearby. "So how's work? Is your mother well?"

"Everything's fine here. You've gotten huge since I last saw you," Draco observed with a smile. "So are you going to make me the godfather of this one since I didn't get that chance with Hazel?"

Pansy glowed as she patted her tummy. "Alec and I are hoping for a boy to see if they are any easier. And of course you're the godfather. Hazel's quite put-out that I didn't name you godfather for her. She insists that she'd get twice as many presents if I did. She loves her uncle, but he is a little more conservative than you about spoiling her."

Draco shrugged. Hazel was probably right. He had a soft spot for children, though he preferred that no one knew about it. That didn't quite fit with his image.

"So any reason for the call?" Pansy asked.

"No, just checking to see how things are going."

"Ahh, you must be between women," Pansy observed.

"What? No," Draco denied. Was he that predictable?

Pansy scoffed. "You're never this broody and you never call for no reason unless you haven't been dating someone for a while. So did you finally break up with Midgeon?"

"She got too clingy," Draco admitted.

"You say that about them all. I think it would be good for you to give a girl a chance for more than a few weeks. You might find that you actually like them," Pansy told him.

"Believe me, having Eloise around for three weeks was more than enough. Anyway, you might be seeing my name linked elsewhere for a little while," Draco replied. "Have you read the paper recently?"

"What? You mean that thing about you and Hermione Granger is true?" Pansy couldn't believe it when Draco responded with a sharp nod.

"You have absolutely the worst timing! Why couldn't this have happened a few months ago when I wasn't so huge and unwieldy? You must bring Hermione to me, then," Pansy decided. "My goodness, I told you to get more serious with a girl, but who knew you'd already come to your senses?"

"It's not what you think," Draco said. He proceeded to explain the situation to Pansy after receiving her promise not to say anything to anyone, particularly his mother, who was being kept in the dark.

"I think you like her," Pansy told him in a sing-song voice. She grinned. "You are very much the gentleman, but never when it came to muggle-born witches."

"You're delusional. I'm just doing her a favor."

"If that's what you want to believe." Pansy smiled. "Seriously, bring her up once you decide you're actually serious about her."

"You know, I might just have her call you," Draco said seriously. "I think it would help."

"What do you mean?"

"She used to go out with Pucey, and now he won't leave her alone."

Pansy instantly sobered. "I'm so sorry. Please have her contact me if you think it would help."

There was an awkward moment, so they switched to lighter topics before Draco finally ended the conversation. Draco checked the time and decided to get dressed for the evening early. He should probably check to see how things were going at the hotel for this evening's soiree anyway.

Hermione sighed in contentment as she finished the story she was reading. She stood up to stretch and gasped in alarm when she realized that it was far later than she wished. Silently berating herself for not choosing a much smaller book to read, Hermione rushed to the bedroom to change. It was one of those times that she was glad to be a witch. A quick swish of her wand, and her robes were wrinkle-free and ready to wear. She pulled our her favorite perfume and applied only a light coating of make-up.

The evening was in full swing once she arrived at the hotel, but a stop at the front desk revealed that an invitation from Narcissa was not there. Hermione was stumped. She thought Narcissa had said something about leaving an invitation for her, but Hermione forgot to ask her where she would have left it. Hermione scribbled a quick note on some parchment and asked that the message be sent to Narcissa to escort her into the grand ballroom.

"Miss Granger, how wonderful to see you again," a voice trilled in her ear. Hermione turned and tried to muster a smile for Imelda Quinby. "You look lovely," Imelda complimented.

"Thank you," Hermione replied. "I am just waiting for Narcissa. There was a mix-up and I must have misplaced my invitation."

"Why don't I wait here with you? I'd hate to leave you alone."

"No, it's perfectly fine. You should go inside and enjoy yourself," Hermione insisted. The last thing she wanted was to have Imelda here pressing her for questions about Draco.

"We invited Harry and his wife, you know, but I believe they are on holiday," Imelda remarked.

"I'm sure they hated to miss this event," Hermione said.

"Hermione I am so sorry! I hope you weren't waiting long," Narcissa greeted as she rushed to meet Hermione. "Imelda, how nice to see you."

"Narcissa, you have outdone yourself," Imelda complimented.

"Oh, it's no bother, Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione told Narcissa when her attention centered back on Hermione.

"Narcissa, please," Narcissa corrected. Together, the three entered the ballroom, and Hermione had a brief chance to marvel at the spectacular decorations. "So how do you know Hermione?" Narcissa asked Imelda.

"We haven't spoken for long. But all of it does seem to take place here. In fact, the first time I spoke to Hermione and Draco was right here while they were discussing their secret relationship," Imelda laughed. "Considering that they were also discussing a possible wedding reception here at Sea Cliff, it made me wonder just how long they have been a couple. And right under my nose as well!" Imelda prided herself on knowing who was going out with whom, but even she did not realize that Draco and Hermione were now an item.

"Really?" Narcissa speculated with a very Slytherinish smile.

Hermione panicked. "Oh, it wasn't even like that," she tried to explain.

She gasped a second later when a warm hand wrapped itself around her waist. "Hermione, you didn't tell me you were coming," Draco said.

"Where did you come from?" Hermione whispered.

"Mother, Imelda, may I steal Hermione from you?" Draco asked, flashing a brilliant smile.

"Of course," Imelda practically cooed. As Draco led Hermione straight to the dance floor, Hermione could have sworn she heard Imelda tell Narcissa something about young love.

Hermione groaned. "You have the worst timing! Do you know that right now Imelda has your mother thinking we are considering marrying here at the Sea Cliff?"

Draco wasn't paying attention. "Did you do something to your hair?" He asked suddenly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Forget my hair. Aren't you worried?"

"Of course not. Mother knows not to believe anything Imelda tells her."

"But then here we are dancing, and your mother hasn't stopped looking this way once!"

"At least your dancing has improved."

"Of course it has," Hermione confirmed. "After the disaster at the Yule Ball, I insisted that my parents enroll me in some dance lessons that summer."

Draco leaned forward. "You're wearing something. What is it?"

"They're called clothes, Draco. In fact, I believe everyone here's wearing them," Hermione said as though he were a simpleton.

"No, on your neck. I like it."

Hermione was pleased. "Oh, the perfume. Do you really like it? I actually invented it."

"You should market it."

"No, because then everyone will smell like me," Hermione explained. "I wanted something that was unique just for me."

"Do you do cologne? I should commission you to make something for me."

Hermione shrugged. "All right. Hey, I see you're in some nice dress robes too."

"What, did you think I'd wear rags?"

"Of course not. Sheesh, it's just a compliment."

"Well then, fine. Thank you."

Hermione looked up at him to try to determine whether he was being sincere. Evidently, she didn't like what she saw. "Well you don't have to say thank you if you don't mean it. I'll just take back the compliment."

"I'm always gracious with compliments. If you take back your compliment, I'll just take back that thing about your dress."

"What about my dress?"

"I said it looked nice!" Draco replied.

"No you didn't."

"Of course I did," Draco countered.

"We discussed my hair, not my dress."

"Well then I meant to compliment it, so that counts. I'm up three compliments to your none."

"What about what I said about you looking nice?" Hermione reminded him.

"You took that back, remember? So that doesn't count," Draco pointed out.

"Draco, this isn't a contest."

"People only say that when they are losing," Draco told her with a smile. He laughed at her expression upon hearing that. Draco found that he was actually enjoying himself.He hoped that didn't mean he could only enjoy himself while he was in Hermione Granger's presence. The thought actually alarmed him enough to stop dancing.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked.

"No, I just realized that I need to check on something," Draco said.

"Okay," Hermione said slowly. "Well, if you need any help, just let me know."

"I will." And with that, Draco dashed off in the opposite direction as Hermione looked his way curiously.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize from _Harry Potter_ belongs to me!

**A/N:** Thanks for sticking with me during this story. Please read and enjoy. :)

* * *

Next to dating Eloise Midgeon, it was the worst possible situation to happen to him all year. He had just come to the horrifying conclusion that his prior suspicions were correct; he indeed seemed to have the most enjoyable time when he was around Hermione, at least lately. Just how did his life come down to this? Escape was the best option until he could get his thoughts together, so that was what Draco was going to do.

Something was definitely wrong with that boy, Hermione thought, as her dancing partner abruptly left in the middle of a song. Draco was quickly lost in the crowd as Hermione watched him hurry away. She didn't understand what was going on with him, but since it wasn't her problem, she wasn't going to pry.

She wandered around the room instead, chatting with people she recognized and learned a little more about the fundraiser. In addition to this dinner, some artwork by Hogwarts students were on display and were being auctioned off as well. She was just examining these paintings when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Draco, are you over your snit? Oh! Clint, how are you? I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," Hermione greeted. She had gone out with Clint a few times some time after her relationship with Adrian ended. Hermione's friends thought he was a nice enough fellow, but too boring for Hermione. She thought they were being too critical. After realizing that they had little chemistry beyond their over-achieving tendencies, she and Clint decided to stop seeing each other. They still talked occasionally, but they moved in such different circles, that they were more like friendly acquaintances than actual friends.

"Hermione! It's good to see you," Clint said warmly as they exchanged hugs. "I thought I saw you earlier, but I wasn't sure. You look great!"

"Thank you, you look well yourself. So how is Cho? I heard you were dating."

"Really great," Clint said happily. "She couldn't make it tonight, but I promised her I would try to buy the very painting you're looking at for her."

"I'm really happy for you," Hermione said sincerely. "I didn't know Cho was an art enthusiast."

"Her family owns some galleries, so she's got a great appreciation for art," Clint revealed. "You know, she is such an amazing girl. And we have so much in common! You wouldn't think so, but it's true."

Hermione smiled, happy for him. "That's great, Clint."

"Quidditch, for instance," Clint began as he launched into his favorite topic.

Hermione decided she should probably change the subject before she learned more than she needed to know about his new girlfriend. She noticed the dance floor begin to fill and thought that might be a good distraction. "Would you like to dance?" she asked him as he took a breath to launch into another story.

"Why not?" Clint accepted. He leaned forward as though imparting a big secret. "You know, I've been practicing and I think you'll be quite impressed."

Hermione grinned, remembering his lack of ability the last time they danced together. She wasn't surprised to hear that Clint had been practicing since then. "I'll bet you could teach me a few steps now!"

Clint was suddenly eager to show her his newfound abilities. It was nice to talk to someone who was as driven as he was. It was too bad things didn't work out between them. A group of former Hogwarts students were providing music for the evening, and Clint and Hermione headed in the group's direction to make some requests. In no time, Clint had Hermione spinning around the floor laughing. She discovered that she was right. Clint _could_ teach her a thing or two now. It became a sort of challenge to see who had more tricks up their sleeves.

Hermione was obviously having a grand time with that little chipmunk, and Draco didn't like it. He needed another drink. Quickly. Because if Hermione didn't stop dancing with that imbecile soon, bad things were going to happen. Realizing the direction of his thoughts (again), Draco morosely took a last gulp of his fire whiskey and vanished the glass as well as the mostly-empty bottle he confiscated from a table. First it was Pucey and now it was that scrawny little fellow dancing with Hermione. What was the matter with him?

As soon as he'd left Hermione, he escaped to the quietness of the hallway to give himself some time to think. As he paced, he realized that he was obviously worrying for nothing. Draco told himself that he had been working much too hard lately and naturally anything unrelated to work these days would be enjoyable. Feeling much more like himself, he returned to the ballroom only to find Hermione and that chipmunk embracing. A dark cloud descended on his mood again. This was getting ridiculous. He needed to sort these feelings out. That was when he swiped the bottle from a table and hid himself in an alcove to be alone with his thoughts.

The two were still dancing and Draco really wished he had a reason to hit the guy. He didn't like the way he was feeling, but in his semi-drunken state, he decided that it wasn't his fault. After all he was sure he could find a way to blame Granger for all of this. She was the one with the absolute worst taste in men. No one could blame him for being disgusted, he rationalized. It only seemed like jealousy, but it was obviously something else that was very, very different from jealousy, he decided. Yes. In fact, he should tell her so. It wouldn't be right for Hermione to get the wrong idea. He should set things straight right now. And he would, too. As soon as the floor stopped moving.

Narcissa was in her element. She really should have taken a more active part in Wizarding Society much sooner. If only Lucius were alive to see her now, she wished. While they had been a social couple, Lucius always made a point to take part in only small social gatherings in deference to Narcissa's wishes. She was less comfortable in large gatherings, and most people mistook her discomfort for snobbery. It was only after Lucius' passing that she came into her own. Her partner had just died and Narcissa found that other people's opinions didn't matter quite so much anymore. One of the few people she cared for was gone and that seemed so much more significant. Naturally, once she ignored society, that was when society seemed to be enamored with her.

It started out slowly, of course, when a few of Lucius' business associates and their wives would stop by to extend their condolences. Narcissa would attend their get-togethers out of a sense of obligation and actually found that they could be enjoyable. As time passed, Narcissa began hosting her own events and discovered that being near other people helped the grieving process tremendously.

She was just chatting with Imelda when out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Draco almost pass out between those trees in a niche located in the far end of the room. Narcissa quickly excused herself and headed straight in the direction of that alcove "Draco? Son? Are you feeling well?" Narcissa approached in alarm when she saw him nearly doubled over in the corner.

"I'm fine. It's the ballroom that won't stop moving," he muttered.

She could smell his breath the closer she got to reaching his side. Well, this shed a completely different light on the situation. "You had better not be drunk, Draco. I will not be embarrassed this way!" Draco merely groaned in response. "At least take a potion," Narcissa said with displeasure. "Of all places to develop a drinking habit, you choose this one to do it!"

Draco winced. "I'm not drunk," he denied. "I don't need a potion." At this point, he was slurring.

"Go home, then," she told him. "You're doing no one any good by staying here."

"Can't. Must talk to 'Mione." Draco's voice was muffled since his face was buried in the crook of his arm.

"My what?" Narcissa asked in bewilderment.

"Hermione," Draco clarified, though with little success since his face was still pillowed in his arm.

"Draco I have no idea what you are saying. Now where's Hermione? She might understand you better." Narcissa perused the ballroom. Spotting her target some distance away, Narcissa contemplated what the best strategy would be to bring Hermione over to her side quickly and discreetly.

Tired from dancing, Hermione made her excuses, exchanged a final hug with Clint. She wandered over to the buffet table for something to eat and was just picking up a plate when she felt eyes boring into the back of her head. It was an eerie feeling and she wondered if she was being paranoid. Hermione surreptitiously looked around the room and found Narcissa motioning her over to a hidden alcove in the room.

"Narcissa, what are you doing hiding in a corner?" Hermione greeted. She obviously looked displeased about something.

"This idiot you are dating refuses to take a potion and will not leave the ballroom. Talk some sense into him," Narcissa ordered. "I wash my hands of him." She left Hermione with Draco, who had a death grip on the wall.

"Can't leave, I have to tell Hermione something," Draco slightly slurred.

"Draco, have you been drinking?"

"Had something to tell you. What was it?" Draco asked aloud.

"Maybe you should sit down," Hermione suggested.

"But I had to tell you something."

"Okay," Hermione replied patiently. "What did you want to tell me?"

Draco opened his mouth, but then shut it again. "I don't remember."

"Let's sit down while you think," Hermione tried to suggest again.

Draco's head suddenly snapped up, though he winced at the sharp movement. "Remember now. Wanted to tell you it's your fault! You and the chipmunk!" He said.

"Chipmunk? You get a little strange when you're drunk, don't you?" Hermione asked, amused.

Draco scoffed. "Malfoys are never drunk. Just ask my mother."

"Let's take a walk outside," Hermione suggested, trying to pry Draco's fingers from the alcove.

Draco looked at her like he thought she was crazy. "It's cold out there!"

"No not outside the building, I meant outside the room. It's quite toasty out in the hallway," Hermione tried to coax.

"Why? So you can be alone with the chipmunk? Ha! I don't think so," Draco told her. He was going to cross his arms to show her he meant business, but he was afraid of falling over if he let go of the wall.

Hermione was getting frustrated. "Look, I don't understand this fixation you have with chipmunks, but let's make it clear that I am not interested in being alone with any!"

"You seemed real chummy earlier!" Draco accused.

"Seriously, Draco, what have you been drinking? I think it's making you hallucinate."

"You're not leaving me alone in the hallway!"

Draco was starting to attract attention, and Hermione knew he would hate this later when he was thinking clearly. "No, I'm not leaving you alone anywhere," Hermione denied. "I'm coming with you."

Draco seemed cautiously hopeful. "You are? No more chipmunk?"

"No chipmunks, I promise," she soothed.

"Okay, let's go." Draco let go of the wall and promptly fell on top of Hermione instead.

Draco was several inches taller than her, and much heavier. "The wall! Lean against the wall!" Hermione said frantically. Luckily, Draco was listening to her now and heeded her advice. Hermione pulled out her wand and cast a small lightening spell on Draco so that she could manage to escort him out of the room without hurting herself in the process.

"Oh thank Merlin!" Hermione groaned when they finally left the ballroom.

"So we're in the hallway. Now what do you want to do?" Draco asked her.

Hermione hadn't thought that far yet, so she had no idea what to do at this point. "Well, why don't we get you a room here? I don't think it's a good idea for you to apparate home in your condition."

"Can't. They're all booked." Draco gave her a goofy smile. "The hotel's a smash."

"Congratulations," Hermione told him in disappointment. So now what was she going to do? "Are you sure you don't want a potion? It will make you feel much better," she encouraged.

"Why would I need a potion? I'm the pincher of health."

"The pincher of health, huh? I can tell," Hermione said wryly. "I guess it'll have to be a carriage, then."

"Carriage? But that's outside! I told you, it's cold."

"Yes, but you won't be cold for long. It will be a very short trip."

"You still coming with me?" Draco asked her suspiciously.

Hermione sighed. "I guess I am. Let's go." Hermione managed to get Draco inside the carriage, but only if she went inside first, since he didn't really believe that she would actually be joining him.

Colin Creevey was bored out of his mind. He hated covering society events like these. They were so dull. Hardly anything interesting ever happened. But at least it was a job. As a freelance photographer, Colin found that he had to take what assignments came to him until he could establish a name for himself. Maybe if he took some good enough pictures, he would get some more exciting assignments. For now, he was lucky just to be getting this assignment from Imelda Quinby. Colin was just making his rounds when he thought he spotted Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy embracing in a corner. What luck!

Gleefully, Colin snapped another picture of Draco and Hermione. Rita will be so pleased! He hoped the photo of Draco falling on top of Hermione turned out well. If he took it right, people just might think they were having a snog in a private corner. He followed the couple out of the ballroom a few minutes later only to discover them climbing into a carriage together. After a minor hesitation, Colin decided to follow the couple to see if he could get some more interesting photos for Miss Skeeter.

During the carriage ride, Hermione discovered that Draco was a happy drunk and that he had a terrible singing voice. She was very relieved when the ride was over. The kind doorman from Draco's building guided her to Draco's private lift to the penthouse and the door luckily was keyed to Draco's touch. She had some trouble getting inside herself, though, until Draco somehow told the door that it was okay for her to enter. Two house elves greeted them at the door, and Hermione gasped in outrage. "Draco! You have house elves?!"

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked as he fell into an armchair.

"How could you support slavery like this? I am so disappointed in you." Hermione gave a closer inspection of the two house elves who seemed to be cringing in fear at Hermione's tone. "Well, at least you clothed them in something better than old rags," she said grudgingly.

"Clothes? No! Master say they be uniforms! Clothes?" the house elves were now in a panic, thinking that they had lost their positions. One even started crying while the other started tugging at his ear.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Hermione said, guilty that the two were obviously genuinely upset. She wasn't sure how to explain to the two that they were being oppressed. "I mean technically, Draco is right. You _are_ wearing uniforms."

One stopped wailing. "Uniform? Master did not lie?"

"No, Draco didn't lie," Hermione confirmed. She glared at Draco for inadvertently putting her in this position. Much relieved, the two house elves took away Draco and Hermione's heavy coats and drinks and sandwiches appeared before them moments later. "I can't believe it, house elves," Hermione said sadly as she stared at the platter.

Draco unsteadily got to his feet and crashed onto the couch next to her to get to the sandwiches, or so Hermione thought. He bypassed the sandwiches completely and went straight for the rum. He had two gulps before Hermione managed to get it away from him. "Give me that! Draco, I did not bring you home just so you can finish your drinking in private!"

Draco was back to feeling insulted. He supposed he should start getting used to the feeling if he was going to be around Hermione for any extended period of time. "Did I say this was alcoholic?"

Hermione hesitated and took a delicate sniff of the drink. "Oh." She carefully put the goblet back down on the table.

Draco merely snorted and grabbed the other cup. "I don't want sandwiches," Draco complained.

"Well you're not making those poor house elves make you something else to eat are you?"

"Why not? That's what they're there for."

"Stop being so lazy and get your own food," she directed. She nagged him into eating the sandwiches anyway, which Draco eventually did with great reluctance. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had not yet had dinner either. She took a sandwich from the tray and nibbled on it as she wondered how long she would need to stay before she could safely leave.

Tucking her feet underneath her on the couch, she leaned back against the head rest as she watched Draco eat. While he had much better table manners than Ron or even to some extent Harry, Draco certainly ate like the boys. It was an amusing sight. In no time, the plate of sandwiches were gone and his goblet was empty. Cold glasses of pumpkin juice appeared to finish off the impromptu meal, along with some shortbread cookies. He seemed less enamored of sweets, because both the glass of juice and the plate of cookies were left half-full when he finally leaned back and sighed in satisfaction.

The two enjoyed a comfortable silence on the couch. "You going to go home?" Draco asked finally.

Hermione looked his way. "I think I should."

Draco stood up, more sure on his feet now. "I'll show you to the floo." The food seemed to have done Draco some good, because he seemed much more sober now. Or it might have been something in the juice. She wondered if Draco had instructed the elves to make it a policy to add the potion if he were to come home drunk. It was a possibility.

Hermione allowed him to help her up and she followed him to another room. It was a little awkward as they reached the floo. Was she supposed to hug him? Wave and just go home? In the end, she simply smiled and quickly walked past him.

"Hey, er, Hermione?" Draco called before she entered the floo. Hermione hesitated before turning back to face him. "Thanks. For helping me home." Draco looked extremely uncomfortable and awkward, which was exactly how she was feeling.

"No problem. Good night." Hermione waved just before she left.

Hermione went home to smell of burnt toast and the blender running. "Hermione, is that you?" Luna called from the kitchen. "I found your blender and I'm making drinks! What would you like?"

"Luna? What are you doing here? And what's that smell?"

"I was…trying something," Luna amended. "So about the drinks?"

"Oh, um, nothing for me, thanks." Hermione made her way to the kitchen, which was a mess.

"So, Ginny called and Harry broke a leg or something trying to go down a slope, so Ron's on his way over to help him out," Luna explained. "I stopped by to visit with you until Ron got back, but you weren't home, so I used the key you gave me. Hope you don't mind?"

"No, that's fine. I just went to this charity dinner. So Ron really went all the way over there? I'm sure they have healers there, too." Hermione picked up a wet rag to clean up some of the mess on the counter.

"They wanted a second opinion. Personally, I think Ron just wanted to go skiing. Hey, we should have a sleepover!" Luna said with excitement. "Here, try this. More coconut, you think?"

"Sure, you can sleep over," Hermione said. She took a sip of Luna's concoction, which was actually quite good. "Wow, this is great. What did you put in it?"

"Just a little something my dad taught me," Luna said, pleased that it turned out well.

"Do you mind if I keep this?" Hermione asked as she continued sipping at the drink.

"Oh, go on ahead. I made plenty. Well, this is great. It's too bad Ginny can't be here. We haven't had a sleepover in ages." Luna poured a glass for herself.

They both heard a sound from the other room and Hermione went out to investigate. "Sorry to barge in like this, but you forgot your things at my place," Draco said. He had her purse and her wrap with him. Thank goodness, she at least remembered her wand.

"Oh, thanks Draco." She grabbed her things from him.

"Hi Draco," Luna greeted. "Are you going to join us for the sleepover?"

"Sleepover? I don't think so," Draco replied.

"Here, try this." Luna thrust the drink into his hands.

Draco looked ambivalent. "I don't know, I've had a lot to drink already."

"Try it," Luna insisted.

Draco shrugged and took a quick gulp of the strangely thick concoction. "Hey, this is good," he said with some surprise. It had a really nice kick to it at the end.

"The trick is the coconut," Luna revealed with a smile. "I'll just go make some more." A few minutes later, the blender could be heard again.

"Have a seat," Hermione invited.

"Do you think this would be good without the alcohol too? Because one of these in the morning would be just the thing."

Luna returned with a large pitcher. "The rest should be done soon. But we should finish this pitcher first." They discussed quidditch and Luna's controversial last game as announcer. Draco was fascinated to learn that Luna was actually quite knowledgeable about the game, but chose to focus on other things when she was working for the sake of her audience.

When Hermione realized that she couldn't stop giggling, she began to wonder just how much alcohol was in one Luna's mixtures. She contemplated her glass as Luna and Draco continued their discussion on the Falcons' chances in the next game. That was the last thing she remembered before, in confusion, she woke up to the smell of coffee and Luna's ridiculous singing. Draco, on the other hand, was not confused when he woke up. He was, however, annoyed to find that some truly awful howling was echoing around the room and a bush of hair was lodged in his mouth.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize from _Harry Potter_ is mine!

**A/N:** Sorry for the long delay! It's been a busy summer and I also suffered from writer's block. Except for the first two chapters, my chapters run anywhere from 3,300 to 4,500 words, so it takes a while to get a chapter to an acceptable length. I don't know how other authors do it! I hope I did this chapter justice. Be sure to periodically check my profile page for updates to the status of my next chapter. Now on to the story!

**Recap: **

__

Draco's head suddenly snapped up, though he winced at the sharp movement. "Remember now. Wanted to tell you it's your fault! You and the chipmunk!" He said.

"Chipmunk? You get a little strange when you're drunk, don't you?" Hermione asked, amused.

Draco scoffed. "Malfoys are never drunk. Just ask my mother."

.oOoOo.

_He followed the couple out of the ballroom a few minutes later only to discover them climbing into a carriage together. After a minor hesitation, Colin decided to follow the couple to see if he could get some more interesting photos for Miss Skeeter._

.oOoOo.

_She contemplated her glass as Luna and Draco continued their discussion on the Falcons' chances in the next game. That was the last thing she remembered before, in confusion, she woke up to the smell of coffee and Luna's ridiculous singing. Draco, on the other hand, was not confused when he woke up. He was, however, annoyed to find that some truly awful howling was echoing around the room and a bush of hair was lodged in his mouth._

* * *

It was nothing like flying a broom but it was still so much fun. Ron was having a grand time being lousy at skiboarding. He did feel a little guilty, though, about not bringing Luna along with him, but she seemed fine with staying home the last time he spoke to her. "I thought you were here to help me, not use my skiboard!" Harry called over, a little peeved.

Ron stumbled to a stop next to Harry, who was sitting outside with his knee wrapped up. "Sorry, Mate. But the board's amazing! I think I'm getting better."

"Wish my knee was," Harry grumbled. "I finally go on vacation and I get hurt just a few days into it."

"It's not so bad. You'll be as good as new tomorrow. Knees are tricky to heal with magic," Ron said.

"Okay, it's settled. I've rearranged our schedules so we can do the non-physical stuff now instead of later," Ginny announced as she emerged outside.

"Great, what's first?" Harry asked, eager to get started. He was getting tired of sitting around thinking about his knee, and it had only been about a day since the accident.

"Well, if you wanted to stick with the skiboarding theme, there's an exhibition of professional skiboarders performing some acrobatics in a few hours, or we can go visit the hot springs just a few miles from here," Ginny suggested. "There's a train that will take us over. Tomorrow morning, we're taking a hot air balloon to see the sights."

"I wish I could stay for that," Ron said enviously.

"Can't you take a few days off?" Harry invited. Ginny nodded in agreement.

"Nope, I have to save my days for the honeymoon," Ron explained. "As it is, I'm technically supposed to be working. I'm billing you as a house call, and that's only because you're Harry Potter." Ron's work as a healer kept him busy most days. He had discovered during the war that he had a surprising knack for mending and healing bone-related injuries, and was accepted into an accelerated healer training program directly after the war. He now worked at a private practice located in proximity to St. Mungo's.

"I guess my name is good for something," Harry remarked. "It's given me nothing but trouble in the press."

"And now poor Hermione's getting the brunt of it," Ginny added in sympathy.

"Which reminds me, Ginny and I were thinking of doing something about starting a rumor about Rita Skeeter to get her off our backs. Any suggestions?"

"Plenty, but they wouldn't be as good as something Fred and George would come up with," Ron said. "I think we should owl them for some ideas."

"Who's good at research? There's bound to be stuff in Rita's past that she doesn't want to be released," Ginny remarked.

Ron shrugged. "I would say Hermione, but you know she would have used something by now if she knew of anything."

Harry agreed. "There's always Percy, but I don't think anyone's talking to him right now." Percy was cautiously allowed back in the family, but everyone was still mad at him for marrying Penelope Clearwater without telling the family about it. As it was, Mrs. Weasley still refused to talk to anyone about Penelope if her name ever was mentioned.

"You got that right. Wait 'til Mum hears that Penelope's pregnant," Ron remarked.

"She's pregnant?" Ginny said in shock. She couldn't even imagine little Percy replicas running around.

Harry laughed. "With any luck, any kids they have will act like the twins."

Ron shuddered. "So long as they don't act like Percy, I don't care."

"I guess we should throw a baby shower. We're going to be aunts and uncles, you know," Ginny said reluctantly. Ginny thought that she and Percy were pretty close growing up, but these days, she just didn't know what to think anymore.

"Maybe this will soften Molly up about Penelope," Harry said. "We can suggest that she throw the baby shower in honor of her first grandchild."

"I don't know what Bill and Fleur are going to say," Ginny said in worry. Due to a stray curse aimed in Fleur's direction during a battle, she was unable to have children. It was a painful topic for the couple.

"We'll deal with it if the situation comes up. But there's nothing we can do about it now," Ron said. "Back to Skeeter. Do you think she has a secret love child somewhere? Had an affair with a Ministry official?"

"Or maybe just hint that she has someone else do all the writing while she takes the credit, sort of something like what happened with Gilderoy Lockhart," Ginny suggested.

"Nah, I like Ron's idea that she slept her way to the top to get her job," Harry grinned.

"But who would sleep with her? She's likely to print stuff about you if you disagree with her," Ginny replied. Harry had to admit that it sounded like something Rita would do.

"Hey, Imelda Quinby is her rival, right?" Ron asked. "Maybe we can get her to help us?"

Harry shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

The three agreed to work out the best way to approach Imelda once Harry and Ginny returned from vacation. "I only have a couple hours left before I have to head out. You want to catch that acrobatics show?" Ron suggested. Harry agreed, but still groused about having to watch someone fly rather that fly himself. Ginny merely patted Harry on the shoulder as she led the way to the performance.

.oOoOo.

Imelda enjoyed Sunday mornings. It was her one day off and she typically spent it close to home, since her work involved so much socializing. Today, however, was dedicated to work. She had to write something positively amazing for Monday morning's paper. The tidbits she added to this morning's paper about Draco and Hermione would act as teasers for a much more detailed story on Monday, and she needed to comb through her sources again to make sure she didn't miss anything.

She hated to admit it, but Rita Skeeter's lies and sensationalistic form of writing was starting to harm her own readership, and it was difficult to stop herself from stooping to Rita's levels in an effort to sell more articles. So what could she write that would really grab someone's attention? Imelda was drawing a blank, which frustrated her to no end.

An owl tapped on her window, just then, carrying a package of extra photos Colin Creevey had taken last night. Imelda absentmindedly rummaged through them as she concentrated on discovering a new angle for her story. A few photos caught her attention. One photo of the dance floor revealed that Hermione Granger seemed to be dancing with someone. It was difficult to tell who it was she was dancing with, since the couple kept moving out of the photo, but she did notice the image of Draco Malfoy hidden in a corner of the photo, looking quite displeased as he watched the couple.

Perhaps there was a story to tell, after all. She just needed to learn more about this mysterious gentleman that was seen with Miss Granger. It could turn out to be nothing, of course, but Imelda decided that it wouldn't hurt to do at least a little digging to see what could be revealed. If she was going to have to work on her day off, at least it would be productive, Imelda reasoned.

.oOoOo.

Luna always thought she ought to have been a performer. She felt she could draw a crowd if the need arose. At the moment, she was enthusiastically singing the refrain to her favorite song as she brewed some potions for Hermione. She had a feeling her friend would need it after overindulging last night. Thinking of last night, it was such fun getting to know Draco. Who knew one could learn so much about a person from a game of truth or dare? With the potion done, she poured herself another cup of coffee and pondered whether she should make some breakfast.

Luna absolutely loved mornings, but unfortunately, most of her friends did not share the same sentiment. She wished Ginny was home. They always had the best time together the morning after a good party or dinner. Another fun song played on her favorite radio station. She turned the volume higher and swayed to the music. Sipping her coffee, Luna wondered when Hermione and Draco were going to wake up. And would they be up for some pancakes?

.oOoOo.

Just a few rooms away, Draco was wide awake and feeling a little anxious. He was hungry and had a sudden urgent need to use the facilities. Unfortunately, Hermione was a sound sleeper and she had a death grip on his arm. With his other hand, he tried disentangling some of her massive amounts of hair from his face. His mouth felt cottony and he wished he could reach his wand so that he could get rid of the sensation. So what was the best way to get her up? Or at least get her to let go of his arm?

Hermione woke up slowly with an intense headache and a strange poking sensation on her shoulder. How could it possibly be morning already when she didn't even remember going to bed? Hermione felt truly awful and hated overindulging. She moved to turn her head and yelped in sudden pain. "Crooks! Stop that! Bad kitty," she reprimanded. She hated it when Crookshanks slept by her head. Her hair ultimately got yanked and a minor battle would ensue as she attempted to pry her hair from Crooks' claws.

"I'm insulted. First you liken me to Weasley and now you think I'm your cat," Draco replied. Now that Hermione had let go of his arm, he attempted to massage some feeling back into it.

Hermione shrieked and fell off the bed. "What do you think you're doing here!"

Draco leaned over the bed to watch Hermione try to scramble away. "Do you need some help?"

Hermione slipped on something and landed on her bum again. She glared at Draco, blaming him for her trouble. "No! Stay away from me. Better yet, get out of my room!" Hermione sat up and pointed at the door. Wait a minute, her door moved. In fact, this wasn't even her room. Just where the heck was she?

Draco sensed her confusion. "You decided your room needed some redecorating last night," Draco explained.

"But it looks like a harem! This couldn't possibly be my idea! And my bed is facing the wrong direction!"

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no wrong way to position a bed." Draco looked around. "As for it looking like a harem, you do seem to have a lot of color in here, don't you? But I think it looks nice."

In another attempt to stand up, Hermione sent several silk floor pillows scattering and yanked a fuchsia scarf down from the ceiling. "You need to leave my room!"

"Not a morning person, are you?" Draco replied in sympathy. Hermione glared at him. "That's alright, I need to get up anyway. Why don't you go get dressed?" With that, Draco grabbed his wand and left her room, closing the door to her room behind him.

At Draco's suggestion to get dressed, Hermione looked down at herself in horror, but was relieved to find that she was decent in some pajama bottoms and an old shirt she stole from one of the boys. She buried her face in her hands and groaned. Through the door, she could hear Luna and Draco talking.

"Morning Draco! Pancakes?" Luna called.

"Love some!" Draco responded before closing the door to what Hermione suspected was the bathroom.

Hermione frowned in alarm. Luna didn't sound surprised by Draco leaving her room. She couldn't remember much of last night. Did she do anything she'd regret? Did she say anything? And why was Draco here in her room anyway? Did they…? No, they couldn't have! So just what exactly happened last night?

She rushed through her morning ablutions and shuffled to the kitchen. "Luna?"

"I'm making breakfast. You want some pancakes? Oh! There's some potions for you on the table. I thought you might need some."

"Thanks," Hermione said gratefully. "And no food for me, thanks." She quickly downed the bottle and wrinkled her nose at the taste of licorice. She vowed never to drink again if she was going to feel so nauseous the next day that the taste of a simple potion was a trial.

"At least have some coffee," Luna advised.

Hermione turned back to check if Draco was in sight before facing Luna again. "Okay quick, you have to tell me everything that happened last night!"

"Well, not much really. Although I didn't know you were such a great dancer. Where did you learn those moves?"

Hermione nearly laughed in relief. "So I just danced? Well, that's fine, then."

"Mmhmm," Luna murmured in agreement. "I didn't know you could do stuff like that on poles."

Hermione was sure her eyes had popped out of their sockets. "I WHAT?"

Luna laughed. "No, not really, but you should see the look on your face."

Hermione glared and threw a spoon at her. "So what did happen?"

"You showed us your otter tattoo. That was interesting," Luna replied.

"Was it still on my back when I showed it to you?" Hermione asked hopefully. Although she had gotten the tattoo on her back, the otter tended to travel quite a bit further south than her back on most occasions.

"Not really," Luna admitted. "But Draco seemed to really like it."

Hermione covered her eyes in humiliation. "I'm never going to be able to face him again."

"Well you're the one who chose dare," Luna pointed out.

"What?"

"Truth or Dare," Luna clarified. "It was supposed to be 20 Questions, but I thought it would be more fun to play Truth or Dare."

Hermione now had vague memories of playing. "Is that why my room looks the way it does?"

Luna's eyebrows shot up in response. "I don't know anything about your room. That must have happened after I went to bed."

"So why was Draco still here when I woke up?"

Luna speculated about the state of Hermione's room, but chose not to comment on it, knowing Hermione wouldn't tell her anyway, so she shrugged again. "Again, I don't know. I got a call from Ron last night and went to bed right after. You'll have to ask Draco."

Hermione groaned. She didn't want to ask him. Was there a charm somewhere or maybe a potion that could help people remember their actions when they've had too much to drink? "At least tell me if I revealed anything about myself last night during this game we played."

Luna sat down, thinking. "Nothing I didn't already know about you."

Hermione glared at Luna. "But were they anything _Draco_ didn't already know?"

Luna looked puzzled. "How would I know what you already told Draco and what you didn't?"

Hermione stared at her friend in frustration. "Just tell me everything!"

The bathroom door slammed shut just then. "I don't smell pancakes," Draco announced from the hallway.

"Go make them yourself," Hermione said with some irritation. Couldn't he have stayed in the bathroom just ten or fifteen minutes longer?

"I'm about to put them on the griddle," Luna told him cheerfully. "How many would you like? How about you, Hermione? Are you sure you don't want some?"

"I'm sure," Hermione said firmly. Just the thought of eating right now made her stomach lurch.

"I'll take whatever," Draco said as he entered the kitchen.

Hermione could feel a headache coming on as she watched Draco and Luna chat about the benefits of breakfast and the wonders of pancakes. This was definitely not how she pictured her Sunday morning. So why was it that only Hermione was feeling this way this morning? And she was sure Draco must have had much more to drink than she had.

Draco glanced in Hermione's direction and received another freezing glare for his trouble. "Is she always this grouchy in the mornings?" He asked Luna in a false whisper.

Luna giggled, still wondering about Hermione's room. "You mean you don't know?"

Hermione's jaw dropped again. "I can't believe you even said that, Luna!"

Draco looked admiringly at Luna. "Not too subtle about fishing for information, are you?"

"I couldn't help it. I saw the opportunity and pounced."

"I'm not going to satisfy your curiosity," Draco announced out of consideration for Hermione's feelings.

Again, another opportunity presented itself. "I'll bet Hermione satis-" The rest of Luna's statement was muffled by a large pancake that Hermione shoved into Luna's mouth.

"Why don't you finish your breakfast?" Hermione said threateningly.

Draco and Luna exchanged meaningful glances, and finished their pancakes in silence. Hermione sighed. She hated that look. Ron and Harry had been exchanging such glances since first year at Hogwarts. "I'm going to go change," she told them. By the time she returned to the kitchen fully dressed, the kitchen was spotless and Luna was gone, having left a note about having to go run some errands for her father. Hermione felt much more like herself again, now that the potion had finally kicked in.

Draco was still sitting at the table when Hermione moved over to make herself some coffee. "I should be heading out, too," Draco said.

"Um, before you go, could we talk?" Hermione asked nervously. While in her room, she decided to work past her pride and embarrassment and ask Draco what happened last night. It might be humiliating, but at least she'd know.

"What is it?" Draco asked cautiously.

"I don't remember what happened last night," she replied in a rush.

"I thought so," Draco replied.

"So did we do anything last night that I ought to know about?" Hermione pressed.

Draco's smile turned wicked. "Well, you showed me your tattoo." He declined to mention that she let him touch it. But he couldn't help it. Who knew otters could be so sexy?

"Yes, Luna told me about the otter," Hermione said unhappily. "She said she went to bed early. Was there a reason why you were, er, sleeping next to me this morning?"

"We talked after Luna left the room and you got it into your head that you wanted to redecorate your room."

"So all we did was redecorate?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"We snogged a little, but you fell asleep on me," Draco accused.

Hermione laughed at his chagrined look. "Thank you."

"What? You're not going to throw a fit about us kissing?" Draco asked with some confusion.

"Of course not. It's much less than I feared. And anyway, it sounds like we didn't even do that for long. Well, thanks for telling me. I won't keep you if you need to get going," Hermione said.

"Hold on a minute," Draco said as he caught up with her back in her sitting room. He didn't like that she could so readily throw him out of her house. "You did make me a promise last night before you fell asleep."

"What promise?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

Draco grinned again. "To finish what you started last night." Draco took the opportunity to pull Hermione forward and brought her mouth closer for a satisfying kiss.

Hermione was shocked and overwhelmed. Draco's hands wandered down to her hips, and through the fabric, he unerringly found the otter again. Hermione yelped at the otter's sudden movement. That was all the invitation Draco needed before his tongue slipped inside.

She could taste the syrup he had on his pancakes and shivered when he ran a finger down her spine in search of the runaway otter. Hermione hesitantly kissed him back and heard him groan as he led her to the couch behind her. The bumped into the coffee table on the way, but that was quickly ignored. His fingers tightened around her waist and she clenched the muscles in his shoulders to pull him closer. His lips had just traveled to her neck when her front door slammed shut.

"Hermione Granger! This had better not be that Adrian character you are kissing!"

Hermione froze and looked past Draco's shoulder. "Daddy! What are you doing here?"

"Are you Adrian Pucey? The one that's been in Hermione's wizarding papers? Because I have a few words for you," Mr. Granger demanded.

"You can't just come barging into my home," Hermione said as she and Draco scrambled apart.

"You didn't answer my knock and I thought I heard some sort of scuffle in here so I used your spare key," he explained as he glowered at Draco.

"This is not Adrian. This is a boy I'm, er, dating," Hermione explained.

"Mr. Granger, I'm Draco Malfoy," Draco introduced.

Hermione's father did not take Draco's proffered hand. "Malfoy. Yes, my daughter's mentioned you. You're that boy that gave her trouble in school."

Hermione laughed nervously. "Daddy, that was a long time ago."

"I came by to take a look at the sink you said was giving you some trouble yesterday," Mr. Granger said stiffly.

"Oh, the sink. It's the one in the guest bathroom," Hermione replied.

"You mean the drip? I fixed it this morning when I noticed it," Draco said apologetically.

An uncomfortable moment passed. Hermione bit her lip, waiting for her dad's response. Seeing his daughter's nervous gesture, Mr. Granger gave an internal sigh. "Bring him to dinner. Your mother will want to meet him," he directed. Hermione beamed and nodded and walked him to the door. They chatted at the doorway for a few minutes before he turned to give Draco a stiff nod of farewell.

Hermione closed the door behind him and turned to Draco. "So, do you want to come to dinner?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognize from the _Harry Potter_ books!

**A/N**: So the next chapter is finally here! I hope it doesn't disappoint. Be sure to check my profile page periodically for any updates.

**Scenes from the Last Chapter:**

_"She's pregnant?" Ginny said in shock. She couldn't even imagine little Percy replicas running around._

_Harry laughed. "With any luck, any kids they have will act like the twins."_

_Ron shuddered. "So long as they don't act like Percy, I don't care."_

.oOoOo.

_Perhaps there was a story to tell, after all. She just needed to learn more about this mysterious gentleman that was seen with Miss Granger. It could turn out to be nothing, of course, but Imelda decided that it wouldn't hurt to do at least a little digging to see what could be revealed._

.oOoOo.

_"Hermione Granger! This had better not be that Adrian character you are kissing!"_

_Hermione froze and looked past Draco's shoulder. "Daddy! What are you doing here?"_

_"Are you Adrian Pucey? The one that's been in Hermione's wizarding papers? Because I have a few words for you," Mr. Granger demanded._

.oOoOo.

_Hermione closed the door behind him and turned to Draco. "So, do you want to come to dinner?"_

* * *

_**Malfoy-Granger Union Already on the Rocks**_

**Hermione Granger found in the arms of another man!**

_By Rita Skeeter  
Executive Reporter_

_There's trouble in paradise as Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger seem to have temporarily parted ways this past weekend. Insiders say that poor Draco may have set off Miss Granger's famous temper, pushing her into the arms of ex-love, Clinton Taylor IV. While attending a charity event hosted by socialite Narcissa Malfoy, the couple only shared one dance together before the rest of the night belonged to Hermione Granger's new beau - or dare we say an old one?_

_Cho Chang, Taylor's current flame, was reduced to tears as she watched him dance the night away with Hermione Granger. Sources close to Chang and Taylor reveal that Clinton was near to proposal before he was snatched up again by Hermione Granger. While Clinton has his own charms, hailing from an old, prestigious family himself, we can all agree that his nerd-like appeal dims in comparison to Draco Malfoy's more obvious charisma._

_This is the second contender that Draco has had to deal with for Hermione's attentions this week alone, but the situation was not reduced to a physical confrontation this time. We are sure that Clinton can thank his lucky stars that Mama Narcissa was on hand to settle the situation. _

_Is it possible that Draco grows weary of competing with Hermione's suitors when other, prettier witches are more attainable? I'm sure many of us out there can only wish for a chance at Draco Malfoy's heart. Might Harry Potter himself get into the fray? As many of you will remember, Harry had a little romance of his own with the strangely popular Hermione Granger during his sojourn at Hogwarts._

_But you 'Dramione' supporters out there need not fret. There is still hope that this relationship is not over yet, as our sources reveal that Draco and Hermione left the fête together arm-in-arm and did not leave their apartments the rest of the weekend! Ahh, the trials and tribulations of young love…_

_Can't get enough of the new power couple? See page 12 for "Is She or Isn't She?" My speculation on Hermione Granger's possible pregnancy!_

_Speaking of pregnancy, who's the father - Draco Malfoy, Adrian Pucey, or Clinton Taylor? Discover more on page 15._

Rita smiled as she finished reading her copy of the paper. She scribbled a quick note on some parchment, and sent both the missive and the paper to be delivered to Imelda Quinby's address.

.oOoOo.

Since starting Malfoy Investments, Draco's life had been a whirlwind of activity. He never seemed to find enough time to fit in everything that needed to be done, which always led him to consider obtaining a time turner to help him manage his To-Do pile. If it weren't for that fact that he knew his ambitions and schedule would simply increase exponentially with a time turner, Draco would have acquired one long ago. As it was, he was lucky to fit in half an hour for a meal these days.

It was for this reason that Hermione was in a deep discussion with Lydia, one of Draco's secretaries and the person who was in charge of his weekly schedule. "I don't care if you have to tell the Minister of Magic himself that he can stuff it! Draco is not going to miss my parents' dinner!" Hermione insisted for the last time.

"But Miss Granger, this _is_ for the Minister," Lydia replied in frustration. "Minister Shacklebolt has already re-scheduled twice, and Mr. Malfoy has said that he needs this permit to go through!"

Hermione sighed. "Fine. Then what about Wednesday? I'm sure I can put off my parents until then."

Lydia paused hesitantly as she flipped through a series of scrolls. "Anything after eight-thirty is fine."

"What? My parents always serve dinner no later than seven! I'm trying to get them to _like_ Draco, not kill him out of starvation!" Hermione wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. Lydia was lucky that they were speaking over the floo and not in person. "So Draco's in France on Monday and the Minister will be busy with him on Tuesday. What's going on until eight or whatever on Wednesday that prevents him from eating with my parents?"

"He has weekly sessions with the Children's Quidditch League. It's a part of his community service requirement for the war," Lydia informed her.

Hermione was confused. "But Draco doesn't need to do any community service. He was on our side during the war!"

"The law says that anyone bearing the Dark Mark during the time of Voldemort, regardless of their position in the war, is required to perform a minimum of a decade of community service," she informed Hermione.

"Thursday! I don't care what's going on, it's got to be Thursday!" She said in exasperation.

Lydia smiled. "I'll put you down for seven on Thursday, then."

"Make that 6:30, and be sure that he is free for the rest of Thursday night as well," Hermione insisted. She had the sneaking suspicion that if she hadn't added that last part, then Lydia would have scheduled Draco for some after-dinner drinks with some potential clients or something.

Lydia bit her lip as she contemplated her notes. "Very well," she relented. "He's all yours for the rest of the night."

"Good." With that, Hermione disconnected the call. "Dragon," she muttered in annoyance. Hermione returned to her lab station, but was still too riled to get any work done. She still had fifteen minutes left of her lunch break, so decided to grab a bagel from the shop downstairs to get her mind off of things.

On the opposite end of the room, Luna was carefully measuring powdered wormwood when she felt Hermione rush past. Curious, she put a stasis spell on her potion and followed her downstairs for a break. Luna had just stepped out of the lift when a loud crash could be heard.

"You idiots! Just leave me alone!" Hermione screamed.

Alarmed, Luna ran the rest of the way to the café to see what the commotion was all about. A large silver platter was lying face-down on the ground, while Hermione began hurling bagels at a group of photographers and reporters. Poor Mr. Wynn wasn't sure whether to throw the photographers out of his shop or to restrain Hermione.

"Miss Granger! This is highly irregular," Mr. Wynn could be heard saying. "If you would stop provoking them, perhaps they'd leave?" he suggested.

Hermione glared in his direction. "I wouldn't be throwing a tantrum if they weren't here in the first place! And where is building security? They have no business here!"

"Here they are," Luna announced as she reached Hermione's side. They all watched in relief as Security herded the press out of sight.

"It's those stupid photos!" Hermione complained as Mr. Wynn instructed some employees to clean up the mess. Someone brought over a cup of tea for Hermione. "I didn't know people would throw such a fuss just because I danced with someone else at that party. They act like Draco and I are committed or something."

"The articles are getting pretty silly," Luna agreed.

"Well, Imelda's article wasn't too bad," Hermione conceded, "but that Skeeter article! I hope nobody believes any of those lies. How can Cho be crying about my dancing with Clint? She wasn't even there to see!" It was purely by accident that Hermione saw the article at all. The paper happened to be open to that page in the break room, and seeing it had put her in a bad mood for the rest of the morning.

"Have you talked to Ginny? Maybe she can give you some tips on handling them? I know she deals with this kind of thing all the time. I'll bet they have reporters following them on vacation, too," Luna said.

"What about you? Do you get a lot of this mess when you're out with Ron?" Hermione asked. She felt ashamed that she had no idea how much Harry and Ron sheltered her from the press.

"Well, some, but Ron and I don't go out much, so we don't have to worry about it too often."

"But I just stopped for a bagel! On my lunch break!" Hermione added. "They have no right to be here."

"Of course not," Luna soothed. "We'll talk to Security and make sure that this doesn't happen again."

"It's all Draco's fault!"

Luna smiled. "How's that?"

"If he was still in the country, I wouldn't be stuck with all this by myself!"

"Well, he'll be back in the morning, so you won't have to handle it by yourself for too long."

"Sorry," Hermione apologized as she rubbed her face. "I'm just stressed out by my parents. They're really not happy by what they're reading in the papers. And it's not helping that I'm going to have to postpone the dinner again." After the fiasco with her father, Draco had agreed to dinner yesterday, but ended up canceling for an emergency trip to France last night concerning some negotiations that went awry.

"They trust your judgment. I'm sure they'll love him once they get to know him," Luna consoled.

Hermione frowned. "I just hope their first impressions of Draco will be better than Harry and Ron's." What remained of her lunch hour was now ruined, so she opted to return to work instead.

.oOoOo.

Draco learned a lot about France growing up. His father taught him to admire the architecture and artwork, while his mother showed him where to find the best in designer wizardwear. But he didn't truly fall in love with the country until he discovered wine for the first time. Draco would rather be lounging at an exclusive resort somewhere with a glass of Zabini Merlot or Chardonnay, but there was no time for that.

"Sorry that we don't have time to tour my family vineyards," Blaise remarked, sensing Draco's mood. "But I was able to grab a few samples for you to try out for the restaurant. You can decide which ones might work best when we get there."

Problems with the chef were causing some possible delays in the opening of _Isabella_, scheduled to open soon in the southern portion of_ Cour de Diamant_, the French version of London's Diagon Alley set in Paris, France. It was a new venture for Draco, and he planned on opening the exclusive eatery in all the major epicenters of the magical world. He had named it after Blaise's mother, who was like a second mother to him growing up.

Blaise scrutinized him. "But you're not here for _Isabella_, are you?"

"I'm trying to acquire a perfumery here, but the owners are stalling on the sale," he responded, annoyance coloring his voice. "They know I want it and they're hiking up the price."

"A perfumery? That's new," Blaise observed as they made their way across the cobblestone streets to the restaurant. "You trying something different?" Draco typically stuck to things he knew, which included good food and high-end living, but fragrances were something not in his typical repertoire.

"Granger discovered something and it got me thinking," Draco replied enigmatically.

Blaise shrugged, but didn't press the issue. Draco would tell him when he was ready. "So how things going with you and Granger? You've got everybody gossiping. Even my sisters call me now to ask about you."

Draco grinned. "That's why I didn't tell you anything. You'd slip to your sisters and I'd be in the papers more than I already am." Draco opened _Isabella_'s doors and stepped inside, finding instant relief from the icy winds blowing outside.

An exotic beauty with almond eyes and skin the color of rich mocha sauntered from the kitchens. "Blaise, Draco," she greeted in a surprisingly clear, direct voice. Upon first impression, most expected husky, sensual undertones from the Italian witch when she spoke.

Blaise's smile softened as he gazed at his girlfriend. He would call her his wife by now if only she'd agree. "Natala, sorry we're late. Draco talks too much."

Draco jerked his head back, thoroughly insulted. "Me? I'm not the one flirting with underage witches!"

Blaise frowned. "I was not flirting, I was giving them directions!"

"Right," Draco said sarcastically.

Bliase smacked him. "Are you trying to get me killed or what? Natala, it wasn't like that."

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble, Blaise," she replied. "But I can't say the same for you, Draco. Chef André quit just half an hour ago."

Draco muttered an expletive. "Did he give a reason?"

"He got a better offer elsewhere. I told him you'd still like to talk to him concerning his options, so he gave me his address to forward to you. I also have three chefs lined up for you to consider if you'd rather look elsewhere," Natala added as she handed him a file folder.

"Do you think he's bluffing for more money?" Blaise asked.

Natala shrugged. "It's possible, but it's my impression that he doesn't want to work under someone and he found an opportunity to open up his own place."

"But if he waited just six months, I would have given him full financial backing myself!" Everyone knew that the Malfoy name behind a project always succeeded.

"But he didn't know that," Natala pointed out.

Draco shook his head. "Of course not. He has to prove himself on his own before I offer an incentive like that."

"So what's the plan?" Blaise asked. There was little point in showcasing his wine now if a new chef was going to change the menu.

"She's a little young, but there's no help for it now," Draco said after a pause.

Natala smiled. "Do you mean Francesca? Good choice. She just graduated from culinary school, so she'll be eager."

"Do you think she can handle something this big?" Blaise asked. He personally thought Natala's younger sister was extremely talented, but he wasn't sure that someone fresh out of school was ready for the pressures of opening a restaurant, much less one with Draco's name behind it.

"Set up a meeting tonight. She can cook for me and we'll see," Draco decided. Natala couldn't wait to share the news with her sister.

.oOoOo.

The article's headline read, "_Hermione Who?_" and featured a large photo of Draco dining with two beautiful Italian witches. One of the witches was playfully feeding him something from a plate as the other re-filled his goblet with more wine. She knew it was cowardly, but Hermione was now beyond caring. She called in sick from work to avoid going out in public and was refusing to see anyone. After Imelda's latest article came out about Draco being "_back in the singles market with two Italian beauties_," she was even trying to avoid calls from her parents.

She thought Rita was bad enough, but now Imelda Quinby seemed to be enthusiastically getting into the fray as well! What a disaster. Pulling out her wand, Hermione got a fire going in her fireplace and watched in satisfaction as the copy of _Daily Society _burned. She was startled out of her reverie by a knock on her door. Eyeing it with suspicion, Hermione slowly approached her front door. "Yes?" she asked hostilely.

A weary Draco answered. "It's me. Let me in. I tried to catch you at work, but Luna said you're at home today."

Peeved, Hermione crossed her arms as she glared at the door. "No."

Draco stared in surprise from the other side of the door. What was going on in that muggleborn witch's mind now? He was exhausted, having traveled directly to Hermione's place after his departure from France, and expected a much warmer reception. "Look, whatever you're bothered about, can we talk about it later? I have a series of meetings with the Minister all day that start in about a half hour, and wanted to talk to you about some business before I take off."

"Oh business, is that what you call it?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "Look, I'm not your keeper, so there's no reason for you to sugarcoat why you were over there!"

"What are you talking about?" Draco did not like having this conversation from the wrong side of the door. "Look, I don't have time for this. You're obviously upset about something. Why don't we talk about this tonight, say nine? I'll try to get in touch with you later to confirm."

Draco had just turned to walk away when Hermione's door abruptly opened. "Oh no, you don't get to walk away from this now, Malfoy!" She yanked him inside and slammed the door shut. "Well? Start explaining," she demanded immediately.

Draco sighed. He was hoping to catch Hermione when she was in a better mood, but she was obviously upset about something. Maybe it was because he hadn't spoken to her since Sunday morning, he speculated. But that didn't sound right. He wouldn't have pegged Hermione as the type of witch who needed constant attention and companionship.

But it couldn't hurt to apologize just in case, he supposed. "First off, I'm sorry for not calling yesterday. I was tied up with some unexpected delays," he explained.

"Tied up? I should have known you'd be into something kinky with those two witches. I'm not an idiot, Draco. I read all about the sexcapade you had in France with those two women!"

Draco's startled reaction quickly turned to anger. So all of this was about some stupid stories being printed up about him? He knew the two of them hadn't been reacquainted for long, but surely she knew him better than that by now? "Why? Are you jealous? Wanted a threesome of your own and it didn't work out?"

Hermione's jaw dropped at the very idea. "You're disgusting!"

"No, what's disgusting is how easily you believe those lies being printed. What kind of man do you think I am?" Draco countered.

Hermione momentarily faltered, but soon recovered. "Don't try to turn this around, I know what I saw!" He was too relaxed and too happy in those photos for it to be anything but a romantic rendezvous…and Hermione couldn't help but feel hurt and rejected at the sight of them.

"So the papers always print lies if it's ever about you or your precious friends, but anything written about me is always the truth?" Draco said bitterly. "The only time I remember being with two women was last night at dinner when I was dining with Zabini and his girlfriend. I was conducting an interview with her sister for the head chef position at my next restaurant. But I didn't know I had to account for every minute of my day," he added sarcastically.

Hermione looked away momentarily, but forced herself to meet his eyes. She felt so stupid. "Zabini's girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Natala Gianetto. I put her in charge of running my new restaurant chain."

An awkward silence followed Draco's statement. Hermione cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I'm so sorry for jumping to conclusions. You, er, mentioned something about some business?"

"I wanted to talk to you about that potion you sent me that replicates scents," he explained somewhat reluctantly. Hermione felt some small relief when Draco finally spoke, but she knew he wouldn't forgive her so easily from his next words. "But I'm late for work." Draco left then without another word, closing the door sharply behind him. Hermione bit her lip as she stared at the door.

.oOoOo.

That night, Draco made it back home after a long series of meetings with the Minister and a few of his key associates. As usual, he tossed his things down by the doorway and padded into the next room where a fire blazed and his dinner was waiting.

Rubbing his eyes, he leafed through the small pile of letters waiting for him on a side table and paused at the sight of a letter with no return address. He recognized Hermione's handwriting, but was still too angry to read it and considered sending it back with no response. He tossed it back on the pile instead and returned to his dinner.

.oOoOo.

It was her lunch hour and Hermione was absentmindedly staring at the condensation on her glass. "Hermione, it's Thursday. Have you told your parents?" Luna asked Hermione, worried.

"Hermione broke from her reverie and looked up. "What?"

"Did you tell your parents about Draco?" Luna asked again.

"I told them he had to work and couldn't make it," Hermione confessed.

Luna frowned. "Why are you defending him? You made an honest mistake and he's being childish by not talking to you. It's been two days. Shouldn't he be over his snit by now?"

"I'm not defending him," Hermione countered. "I just don't want to admit to my parents that I suck at relationships," she replied. She stared at her glass again as she wondered what she could do to fix this mess she started with Draco.

"If there's anything I can do," Luna offered as her voice trailed away.

Hermione smiled. "Thanks. I'll figure something out." Early that evening, Hermione was absentmindedly running her fingers through Crookshanks' fur when she abruptly stood up. This was getting ridiculous. Luna was right; it was time that she did something. She changed out of her pajamas and grabbed her wand.

Moments later, she was nervously smoothing down her hair as she knocked on Draco's door. She decided that if he was too stubborn to go and talk to her, she should swallow her pride and approach him instead. Hermione was expecting to see one of his poor house elves, but was stunned to see Draco answering the door himself. He looked quite nice in a pair of muggle trousers and a charcoal gray wool sweater, which was a big difference from the business robes that seemed to make up most of his wardrobe. His hair was damp, so he most likely had only just come out of the shower.

"What? Did you come to throw more accusations at me?" Draco asked coldly.

Hermione pursed her lips but swallowed the retort that immediately came to her lips. "I wanted to talk. Can I come in?" She asked contritely.

Draco grudgingly let her in and she followed him into to the sitting room. "I don't know if you got my note, but I, er, wanted to apologize again. And to let you know that if you want to back out of everything, just say the word."

Before Draco could utter a word, a loud crash was heard from the floo. "Drake? You here? Oh dear, I hope I didn't break your floo. I've never traveled this way before. It's not very pleasant," a woman criticized.

Draco frowned. "That can't be who I think it is."

Hermione was curious. "Who is that?" There was a lot of smoke and ash, so she couldn't make out who it might be.

The woman continued before Draco could do more than stand up. "And don't worry, the doctors say it's okay to travel! Isn't that great news? So I left Hazel and Alec to visit for a few days. So tell me all about - oh hello, Hermione, isn't it? I hope you remember me, it's Pansy Parkinson," she said brightly. "But you can call me Mrs. Alec Ferguson."


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize from _Harry Potter_ belongs to me!

**Author's Note: **Thanks for sticking with me! For those who have been with me from the beginning, thank you. Be sure to re-read Chapter 12 to refresh your memory before continuing on with the story.

* * *

Hermione didn't know what to say. The woman standing before her with soot stains on her cheek was not the same Pansy that she once knew. For one thing, this Pansy seemed much warmer and more artless somehow. She practically bloomed with good health, unlike during her school days when she was unnaturally thin. Some might say that it was a glow many pregnant women possessed, but Hermione suspected that it came from finally being happy after being miserable for a very long time. 

Hermione returned Pansy's smile uncertainly and grasped Pansy's outstretched hand. "Hi Pansy, it's good to see you again." Hermione was surprised to discover that she meant it.

Pansy beamed. "I'm so glad to see you too! We have to find some time to talk. How about lunch tomorrow? Maybe we can meet somewhere in Diagon Alley. I know of this little shop that serves the best sandwiches."

"Um, excuse me, what are you doing here?" Draco interrupted. "And what do you think you're doing traveling by floo in your condition?"

"Drake, please, I'm pregnant, not dying. In any case, I don't think I'm going to do that anymore. Travel by floo, I mean. The floo powder is so messy. No wonder my mother never recommended it. But it is convenient," Pansy rambled. "No, why go by floo when I can let you take me to Diagon Alley instead, Draco? What time is good for you, Hermione? Draco can stop by and pick you up, or we can meet there if you prefer."

"Some people do work, Pans. I don't have time to schlep you across town just for your pleasure," Draco replied, annoyed.

"Sheesh, what's gotten into you? Why are you being so moody?" Pansy headed toward a chair, but stopped mid-waddle and whirled back around to face them. "Oh! Am I interrupting? Were you two in the middle of something? I'll just go to my room and leave the two of you alone, then. We can talk tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning, Draco!" Flashing a smile, she called a house elf to carry her bags down a hall.

"Hey! Who says you can stay here?" Draco called after her. Pansy dismissed his retort with a wave of her hand and disappeared around a corner. He huffed in annoyance at Pansy's back before turning back to face Hermione.

Hermione fidgeted uncomfortably under Draco's gaze. "So, uh, Pansy's here. Does this mean she thinks we're together?"

"Don't worry! I'm a sound sleeper!" Pansy called from down the hall just then.

"I guess that answers my question, then," Hermione said.

"Ignore her. She knows the real story, so I don't know what her brain has concocted now," Draco said as he watched Hermione's reaction to Pansy's comment.

Hermione continue to stare in bemusement at the empty hallway. "Am I having lunch with her tomorrow?" Hermione asked him for clarification.

Draco shrugged in disinterest. "She'll either show up or not."

"I have several experiments going on simultaneously right now. I don't know if I can just drop what I'm doing to go to lunch," she thought aloud. "Maybe I should call her tomorrow and reschedule."

Draco shrugged again. "You can try." Sometimes it was best to just let Pansy have her way. She could be a bit of a managing person sometimes. Then again, so could Hermione. It would be an interesting lunch tomorrow to see who dominated whom. For the moment, he suspected that Pansy would win.

Hermione realized that her thoughts were straying and took a deep breath before releasing it. "I'm sorry. I got distracted from our conversation. I wanted to discuss our situation, so depending on the outcome of this discussion, lunch tomorrow with Pansy might be irrelevant."

Draco did not immediately reply, but stared at her for a moment instead. Hermione wondered what sort of thoughts were running through his mind. Her speculations were interrupted when Draco finally spoke. "Listen, you keep offering to let me out of our deal. Is this your way of telling me you don't want to do this anymore? Because you can just say so if that's the case."

Hermione bit her lip. She knew the decision was hers to make, but what she really wanted to do versus what she knew was the proper thing to do was conflicted. She felt vulnerable and not in control of the situation, which was too similar to her relationship with Adrian to make her feel any better.

Draco thought Hermione looked miserable and did not like that. He was starting to enjoy her company, and he'd rather see her smile than look unhappy. Taking the initiative, he decided to offer some words of encouragement. If that didn't help, then he had to be the better wizard and end things now for her sake.

Draco sighed. "Look, more people are interested than I thought, but it's nothing I can't handle. You just have to trust me a little if you want this to work. Don't pay attention to any of that garbage. It has nothing to do with us or what's important."

Hermione nodded. "Okay. It's not easy, but I'll try. I don't know why I care what people think anyway. I didn't used to."

Draco's expression darkened. "We both know who to blame for that, don't we?"

Hermione's face tightened and she looked away, obviously not wanting to talk about Adrian if she didn't have to. "Well, I just wanted to apologize again. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that, and I'm really sorry."

Draco accepted her apology with a nod.

"I do want to keep up this charade," Hermione assured, "but not if you really don't want to, and I think you're just being nice about saying you are willing to keep this up. I really don't want to have you trapped into situation you're not comfortable with just because you made a nice gesture for me."

Draco sighed and stepped closer. Hermione repressed the urge to take a step back. He grasped her upper arms as though he could sense the direction of her thoughts and their eyes met.

"Hermione, you've got me confused with your goons. I am not a nice guy. I'm not selfless and kind and Gryffindorish. I do things either because they benefit me or because they don't inconvenience me."

Hermione looked disbelieving. "Are you saying this isn't an inconvenience?"

"You don't see me going into hysterics or anything, do you?" Draco drawled.

No, that was all on her part, Hermione admitted to herself.

"I guess you can say this also benefits me, since it keeps Midgeon away."

That sounded more like an excuse than a reason to Hermione, which of course, led to thoughts that if he wasn't doing it for the reasons he mentioned, why was he helping her this way? She immediately halted her reflections before they could lead to paths she wasn't ready to explore. She was beginning to value whatever sort of friendship she had with Draco and didn't want to lose it quite yet.

Hermione acquiesced with a slight nod and gave him her first true smile of the night. "Okay. Thank you for doing this for me." On impulse, Hermione launched into his arms and hugged him the same way she would Ron or Harry.

Startled, Draco stumbled back a little as he caught Hermione in his arms. He patted her back awkwardly, not sure what to do in this situation. It was a puzzle. She referred to their relationship as a charade and hadn't mentioned their interrupted kiss, yet she was in his arms now as though she didn't want to let go. Hermione was a confusing witch and he was hesitant to make a false move.

She took a step back and began to look for the location of the floo. "I guess I'd better go. I apologize for interrupting your evening."

Draco waved off her apology and escorted her to the floo for her trip back home. "Oh, don't forget to reschedule dinner with your parents for tomorrow night," Draco said as she stepped into the fireplace. He noticed her look of surprise, so he explained. "I saw that Lydia added dinner to today's schedule," he acknowledged.

Hermione's face lit up. "Okay, I'll reschedule. Same time, or is six-thirty good for you?"

"Six-thirty's fine," he replied. She agreed and left soon after. Draco watched her disappear before turning away to go to his own bedroom. From the opposite end of the room, Pansy stood in the hallway with a slight smile on her face. She had some work to do if she was going to get those two together.

.oOoOo.

The next day, Hermione discovered, to her relief, that the dinner with Ginny and Harry to celebrate their trip home had been rescheduled for Saturday, since the two were still tired and had decided on a quiet early dinner alone. Ginny still had to work that night, however, so everyone still made plans to gather for drinks at the club later on. It worked out perfectly for Hermione, since she had completely forgotten about the whole affair when she had agreed to dinner with her parents and Draco tonight.

Merlin, that conversation with her father was one she did not care to repeat. He was displeased, to say the least, about the dinner delay, but grudgingly agreed to Friday night for her sake. She hoped Draco's Malfoy charm worked on parents, too, or else dinner would be extremely uncomfortable. With her plans set for tonight, Hermione returned to work.

Hours later, the lunchtime clock on Luna's desk chimed just as Ollie, a laboratory assistant, reached Hermione's side. "Someone named Mrs. Ferguson says she is downstairs to pick you up for lunch," the assistant informed.

Looking up from her notes, Hermione's eyes slowly deglazed as she realized someone was speaking to her. "Ferguson?" Hermione asked. Did she know a Ferguson? Ferguson…oh! Pansy! She had completely forgotten to cancel their lunch plans. "I'm sorry Ollie, I completely forgot. Do you think you could make some sort of excuse for me?"

Ollie immediately shook his head. "No can do. She's rather forceful, if you know what I mean. She'd walk all over me and before you know it, you're committed to dinner with her, too."

Hermione sighed, but didn't argue. It was probably true. Ollie was a nice fellow, but not very assertive. She looked to Luna, who had her coat and purse on her arm and was headed for the door. "Sorry Hermione, I'm already late for an appointment with Mrs. Malfoy. I mentioned I liked bagpipes and she's taking me to see a band she knows. Unless you want to join us?"

Now which would be worse, listening to bagpipes or having lunch with Pansy? But wait, she didn't have time to do either of those things. She really had to finish her project before she could leave anyway.

"Ms. Granger, why don't I keep an eye on this for you until you get back," Ollie suggested. "If I have any questions, I'm sure your notes will tell me what I need to know."

Hermione was torn, but she knew that Ollie was more than capable of keeping an eye on things for an hour or so. Nodding, she reached for her coat and instructed Ollie to contact her the moment anything went awry. "Thanks, Ollie, I'll be back in a moment. Oh! And I am waiting for some roots to dry before they can be added to that other cauldron under the fume hood. But instructions for what to with those are in my notes next to the cauldron." Hermione waved to a corner before rushing downstairs. "If you get confused, put everything on stasis and don't touch a thing!" she shouted on the way out the door. Ollie waved her away and headed in the direction she had indicated.

Back at the carriage, Draco tapped his knee impatiently with his wand as he sprawled on one corner of the seat, his head leaning back against the carriage window. Pansy fiddled with her gloves and peered out of the opposite window. "Hey Draco, I was thinking of going to that sandwich place you took me to last time I was here. What do you think? Or not if you don't prefer."

"Are you sure Hermione had agreed to this lunch? She told me last night she was busy today and couldn't stop for a meal. Much like me," Draco added pointedly. He was in the middle of some paperwork when Pansy whisked him away for lunch. For such a heavily pregnant witch, she could move faster than he would have thought possible.

"Yes," Pansy said with some exasperation. "If she hadn't agreed, I wouldn't be here, now would I? You know I'm not the pushy sort." Draco snorted at that and Pansy frowned at him. "Draco Malfoy, now you're just being mean."

Draco smirked. "What are you going to do about it? Tell your husband on me?"

Pansy sighed. "No, he'll probably side with you and then where would I be?"

Hermione clambered inside the carriage just then and pushed the door shut behind her. "Sorry about that, I hope you weren't waiting long."

"Not at all, I was just telling Draco how worried I was that we had taken you away from your important work. But Draco was insistent that lunch was just the break that you needed," Pansy replied with a wide smile. Draco snorted again, but Pansy ignored that. She tapped his leg to get his feet off the seat cushions and turned to face him. "Drake, why don't you scoot over so that Hermione can sit next to you? I've gotten so big I've taken most of the room on this seat and I know Hermione must be feeling smothered."

"Oh, I'm all right," Hermione assured.

They both stared at her, as she was squeezed into the cushions of the seat. Pansy had worn an extra thick coat over her maternity robes, which also included a profusion of feathers at the collar and cuffs. Her large bag took up the rest of the room, leaving Hermione with just a small space to call her own. Hermione blushed and moved to sit next to Draco, who had reluctantly shifted his legs to give Hermione room.

"Well, now that we're ready, let's go," Pansy announced brightly. Pansy kept up a stream of chatter the entire way to the restaurant, which was a good thing, since Hermione and Draco were relatively silent throughout the trip.

In no time at all, they found themselves situated in the patio area of a quaint restaurant tucked away in a corner of Diagon Alley. Draco immediately summoned a waiter to their table and ordered a three-tier platter of sandwiches, a large salad, and their daily soup special.

Startled Hermione looked up from her menu. "Draco, you're really going to eat all of that?"

"Do you think I can eat all of that at once?" Draco challenged impatiently.

Hermione shrugged and closed her menu. She didn't like that he ordered for the three of them without consultation, but he was really in a foul mood today, and she didn't want to get into an argument with him now with Pansy present.

"No," Draco continued as he closed his menu, "What I don't finish I'm going to pack up for an afternoon snack."

Hermione looked up again in amazement. She had no idea anyone else could have Ron's appetite, but she supposed that he at least had better table manners than her friend. She perused the menu again while Pansy ordered. Once the waiter was sent away, Draco excused himself to find a restroom.

"Hermione, now that Draco's gone, I wanted to talk to you," Pansy said in a serious tone. She waited for Hermione's nod of assent before continuing. "I understand that you and I both dated Adrian Pucey."

"I heard about what happened, and I'm really sorry," Hermione whispered.

Pansy nodded. "But it's okay, because everything worked out for the best. I have Hazel, my Alec, and now this new baby. But I wouldn't have been okay if it wasn't for Draco. He was a really good friend to me. And I think that if you'll let him, he could be a really good friend for you, too. Don't push him away if he's trying to help."

Hermione started tearing up. She couldn't talk to her friends about Adrian because they were too close to the situation, and their anger and sympathy made her feel very uncomfortable. "I'll think about it," Hermione promised as she reached for her napkin to wipe her eyes.

Draco returned to the table and noticed Hermione's bent head and Pansy's expression. "Why are you crying?" Draco demanded.

Affronted, Hermione's head shot up and she glared at Draco, who was still standing. "I have the right to cry if I feel like it."

Draco looked around. "Are there photographers here? Did they do something to upset you?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "No, it's not photographers, so leave it alone."

"It must be Pansy then," Draco decided. "She can be thoughtless in her remarks."

"Now you're just being rude," Hermione replied.

Pansy smiled sweetly. "Draco, we appreciate your concern, but Hermione will be fine." Clearly unhappy, Draco swallowed whatever response he was going to make and sat down. Conversation strayed to lighter matters and the rest of lunch was relatively pleasant. Hermione returned to work, feeling glad that she got to know Pansy. She even made plans to go baby shopping with her on Saturday morning.

.oOoOo.

Hermione returned home from work that afternoon and was firmly ensconced in her closet trying to decide what to wear for that evening. "Crooks, what do you think? Should I go casual or stick with a dress?" With a wave of her wand, she had multiple completed outfits floating in front of her waiting for her approval. Since it was cold, she decided on a pair of casual slacks with a cashmere sweater she got from her parents for Christmas one year.

Draco arrived soon after she got dressed and Hermione was suddenly nervous. "Let me grab my keys and we can go," Hermione said.

"Are we going by floo?" Draco asked when Hermione returned with her purse and keys.

"No, I have a car for when I travel through the muggle world."

Draco frowned. "A muggle car? Where do you keep it?"

"Yes, I noticed that this building doesn't have a garage, so I keep it in one about a block away," Hermione explained.

"That's not safe. Why didn't you just buy a place that came with one? I have other buildings that are more muggle friendly," Draco asked.

Hermione shrugged. "This one was in my price range and it was a more convenient location."

They apparated to a spot situated close to the garage and walked the rest of the way. Draco looked ambivalently at the car. Although it was a practical sedan, the car was a little older than he would have liked. He reluctantly got in the passenger seat. Draco would have preferred to drive himself, but he didn't know how Hermione would react to his offer. The summer before their seventh year at Hogwarts, Pansy once tried driving a carriage by herself and was quite insulted when he asked to take over. It was a harrowing experience, and he made her promise never to drive him anywhere again.

Not surprisingly, Hermione was a decent driver, though slow. "Hermione, that sign over there, what does that mean?" Draco asked.

"That's the speed limit for this road," Hermione explained.

"Then why aren't you going it?"

"Hush Draco, don't insult my driving."

Draco crossed his arms. "At this rate, we're never going to reach your parents' house."

"We're here," Hermione snapped. They turned into a quiet neighborhood and onto the driveway of a pretty two-story brick house with large windows and green-painted shutters. A wreath decorated with pine cones, cranberries, and a large red bow graced the wide front door.

"Is there anything I should know before I go in?" Draco asked.

"Not much. We stick to the same story that we told my friends. My parents' names are Emily and Benedick, though it might be better to call them Mrs. and Mr. Granger until my dad likes you. They are both dentists and I am their only child."

Hermione rang the door bell and her dad answered the door. He pulled her into a tight hug. "Hermione, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too. Daddy, you remember Draco."

Mr. Granger glared at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy. Welcome. Come inside," he said stiffly. He turned and stalked inside. Hermione grimaced, squeezed Draco's hand, and followed him inside. Draco sighed and closed the front door behind him.

A pretty woman was just coming out of the kitchen when the three came inside. "This is my wife, Hermione's mother Emily. You may call her Mrs. Granger."

"Benedick, stop it. Draco, please call me Emily. Thank you for coming to dinner," Mrs. Granger said.

"Thank you for having me," Draco replied with a charming smile. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought some wine for dinner." He pulled a package from his coat pocket, which expanded to its regular size when he handed it over.

"How thoughtful. Thank you, Draco," she replied.

Mr. Granger grunted and headed toward the dining room. "Let's eat."


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize from the _Harry Potter_ books or movies belongs to me!

**A/N:** Sorry for the delayed update! I knew exactly what I wanted to happen in this chapter, but I struggled with it, as you can tell when you read on. I'm not at all happy with how it turned out, but I'll let you decide...

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_Hermione rang the door bell and her dad answered the door. He pulled her into a tight hug. "Hermione, it's good to see you."_

"_It's good to see you, too. Daddy, you remember Draco."_

_Mr. Granger glared at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy. Welcome. Come inside," he said stiffly. He turned and stalked inside. Hermione grimaced, squeezed Draco's hand, and followed him inside. Draco sighed and closed the front door behind him._

_A pretty woman was just coming out of the kitchen when the three came inside. "This is my wife, Hermione's mother Emily. You may call her Mrs. Granger."_

"_Benedick, stop it. Draco, please call me Emily. Thank you for coming to dinner," Mrs. Granger said. _

"_Thank you for having me," Draco replied with a charming smile. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought some wine for dinner." He pulled a package from his coat pocket, which expanded to its regular size when he handed it over._

"_How thoughtful. Thank you, Draco," she replied. _

_Mr. Granger grunted and headed toward the dining room. "Let's eat."_

As Draco followed Mr. Granger into the dining room, Emily urged her daughter to join her in the kitchen to give Benedick and Draco some time to get to know each other. "Honey, why don't you pour us some of this wine Draco bought? Hermione will help me bring out dinner."

Hermione swallowed a protest and followed her mother instead. The Granger's kitchen was relatively small in comparison to the rest of the house, but it suited the family's needs. Benedick made some noises about expanding the kitchen, of course, but that was more a future project than an immediate concern.

"Mum, I don't know if it's a good idea to leave Draco alone with Dad just yet," Hermione said anxiously.

"Hermione, you know your Dad is more bark than bite," Emily said goodnaturedly as she spooned roasted potatoes onto four plates. "If you like Draco, so will we," she assured.

Hermione spooned the remaining potatoes into a serving bowl as her mother moved onto the steamed broccoli florets. "I hope you're right. Dad can be pretty intimidating."

Emily smiled. "Well I think Draco looks very handsome tonight. If Dad gives him too hard of a time, I'll step in."

Back in the dining room, the tension was thick and an occasional sip from their glasses of wine was the only sound to interrupt the oppressive silence. Facing Hermione's father would be daunting for any of Hermione's other dates, but having had Lucius Malfoy as a father, Draco could only sit in silent amusement at Benedick's attempt at intimidation.

"Mr. Granger, Hermione tells me that you're a dentist. My mother greatly admires anyone in the healing profession. I think she's still disappointed that I didn't become a healer myself."

Mr. Granger grudgingly entered the conversation. "You're in business like your father, aren't you? I'd think that would make any mother happy."

Draco shook his head. "My father would expect me to follow in his footsteps, but my mother says I'm quite skilled with my hands and am intelligent enough to be an upper-level healer. It would be something she could brag about to her friends. But I like the challenges and risk in business. I can put my time and money into an idea, but there's no guarantee that my efforts will pay off."

"Both my parents would like nothing better than for me to go into the family business," Mr. Granger admitted. "My paternal grandfather opened a small bookstore and was successful enough to be able to open two more. Now with my father at the helm, it's expanded to a well-known chain of stores. He expected me to work with him one day. But I hardly saw my father growing up, and when I met Emily, I knew I wanted a different life for myself."

"Well, we are both quite successful in our respective careers, so I'm sure there aren't too many protests anymore," Draco observed.

"Too true," Mr. Granger agreed. "But I think in my case, my father hopes that with Hermione's love of books, she might want to inherit the business one day."

Draco personally thought Hermione was too happy in potions research and development to change careers any time soon, but instead remarked noncommittally that Hermione was clever enough to be successful at any venture she chose.

Mrs. Granger and Hermione entered just then, saving the men from having to continue to make polite small talk. The smells wafting from the dinner plates had Draco's mouth watering. "What do we have here?" Mr. Granger asked with a smile. He and Draco immediately stood to help the ladies with the serving dishes that Hermione spelled to have trail after them.

As the ladies manually set the dinner plates down, Mrs. Granger answered her husband's question. "It's my specialty, savory braised pork with roasted potatoes and broccoli florets. And Hermione's favorite, an apple and cheese pudding for dessert."

"This looks delicious," Draco announced, impressed with Mrs. Granger's culinary skills. "I've never had better."

Mrs. Granger chuckled. "Well, perhaps you should try it first before you start singing my praises."

With that, everyone eagerly dug into their meal.

.oOoOo.

The Leaky Cauldron was always busy on Friday nights, and tonight was no exception. The noise from a group toasting someone's new job in one corner of the room competed with the loud laughter of another party celebrating a birthday. Harry and Ginny managed to grab the last available table, and its unobtrusive spot between two posts on one side of the room combined with the distractions of the other patrons made it perfect for the meeting they had planned.

As they gulped down the last of their first butterbeers, Ginny checked the clock on the wall. "Imelda Quinby should be here any minute now. Do you think this will work?"

Harry shrugged. "Can't hurt. If it doesn't help Hermione, at least we're taking some control over the press that surrounds us."

"I hope you're right, because Imelda's here," Ginny announced. Harry turned to watch Imelda's progress towards their table. She looked out of place in this casual environment, what with her prim robes and hair done up in a tidy bun like that.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter, I was surprised to hear from you," Imelda greeted in her high, musical voice. Her right hand sort of lingered along her side, causing Harry to idly wonder whether that was where she kept her wand.

"Please, have a seat. Thank you for meeting with us," Ginny replied as she indicated a chair across from them.

Harry waited for Imelda to set her bag down and take her seat across from them before he presented their proposal. "I'm sure this is the last place you want to be, so I'll get straight to the point. Ginny and I have noticed that you've been concentrating on our friends very heavily in your recent columns, and we want you to back off."

Glancing at Harry's set face, Ginny leaned forward and spoke up. "What he means to say is that we are concerned about the increased invasion of privacy that our friends are suffering due to their connection with Harry. They value their privacy and we would request that you respect that, as you have done in the past."

Imelda straightened her shoulders. "Your friends are public figures not only because of their connection to 'The Boy Who Lived' but also because of their own personal contribution to the end of the Dark Lord's reign of terror. I merely provide the public a service and I will not apologize for it."

Harry's face hardened. "I didn't ask you to apologize for your line of work, though you know how Ginny and I feel about it. You can keep writing about us if you have to, but keep our friends out of it."

Imelda narrowed her eyes. "I don't take kindly to threats. And I don't see how anything I have written is as bad as what Rita Skeeter has written since you entered Hogwarts as a boy."

"People respect you and are more likely to listen to what you have to say and see it as truth," Ginny said bluntly. "I would think you'd want to keep your integrity than lower yourself to Rita's standards."

At this, Imelda clutched her bag and prepared to stand. "If you invited me here to exchange insults, I have better things to do with my time."

"But you haven't even heard our offer yet," Harry drawled.

Those words gave Imelda pause. She looked closely at the couple before reluctantly taking her seat again. "What do you have in mind?"

"We will give exclusive interviews for your column in exchange for your word that you will keep Hermione and her private life out of it. And that includes Draco Malfoy as well if he's mentioned in any way to Hermione," Ginny said.

"Exclusive interviews?" Imelda asked, surprised.

Harry gave a curt nod. "And maybe more if you hold up your end of the bargain."

It took little time for Imelda to respond. "I accept on the condition that our agreement stands only so long as it keeps my readers interested and buying subscriptions to the paper. The moment my readers lose interest, I reserve the right to publish what I like."

"If you choose to break our agreement, I want one week prior notice," Harry demanded.

"Forty-eight hours," Imelda countered.

"Deal," Ginny said. "I will have everything put down in writing and go over the particulars with you tomorrow."

"Very well. You can reach me at my office," Imelda said, standing once more. "I look forward to arranging our first interview, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter. Good evening."

Harry and Ginny watched Imelda's retreating figure. Ginny released a sigh of relief. "I hope this works, Harry. You were right that she'd go for the two days' prior notice thing."

"She's got a few more morals than Rita, so I knew she might go for it," Harry said as he signaled a waiter for a couple of dinner menus.

"Do you really think Imelda can keep quiet?" Ginny asked.

"Even if she doesn't, it's not our only plan of action," Harry assured. "Ron and Luna should be taking care of it now."

.oOoOo.

_The Quibbler_ was housed in a nondescript building located not too far from Mr. Lovegood's home, since he preferred being able to walk to work if at all possible. Luna explained to Ron once that her father believed that too much floo or apparation travel was bad for one's health. In fact, he was considering adding a health and nutrition column that introduced new theories, products, and advice for his readers. Ron thought the idea that flooing was unhealthy was crazy, but wisely kept the thought to himself around his fiancee.

"You sure he's gonna be there? I promised Harry we'd get this done tonight," Ron said as he and Luna walked hand-in-hand towards _The Quibbler_'s main offices.

"If he's not, Daddy will know where he is," Luna replied confidently.

Once inside, Ron and Luna were directed to the back of the room where a group of interns were congregating as they shared stories of their day. There was never a dull moment at _The Quibbler_, after all. Most of the group dispersed after seeing the boss' daughter approaching, though those who were closest to either Ron or Luna or both stayed behind. Luna stopped to chat to a couple of friends, so Ron, after a quick hello himself to a few people he recognized, continued on to Luna's honorary desk. Though she didn't work at the paper, Luna still had her own work space there in case she ever decided to take over the running of the paper after her father.

Ron leaned against one corner of the desk as he waved Dennis Creevey closer. An aspiring journalist, Dennis was offered an internship at the paper a few months ago and was eager to prove himself in the business. Luna was quite fond of him for his sincerity and eagerness to learn and it was her mention of his many talents that got Ron thinking that Dennis might be the perfect person for the job.

"Healer Weasley! What can I do for you?" Dennis greeted with a big smile.

"Dennis, I told you, don't call me that," Ron said with some embarrassment. The title sounded so lofty, but Ron really didn't think there was anything special about what he did for a living. It sort of made him realize what a bother all that 'Boy Who Lived' hype was to Harry.

"Sorry about that," Dennis responded cheerfully, "I always forget."

"Not a problem, mate. But I had a question for you. You're still pretty decent with a camera, aren't you?"

"I'm tolerable with a camera, but not nearly as talented as Colin. If you're looking for a photographer to take a few shots for your wedding, you should ask him."

"Oh no, it's not for that," Ron assured. "Luna and I are looking for someone to do some investigative work for us, and Luna mentioned that you might have the right skills for the job."

"Really?" Dennis was flattered.

"The job requires discretion, but you're a professional, so that won't be a problem, will it?" Luna asked as she joined the conversation.

Dennis lifted his chin. "Of course it's not a problem! What is it?"

Ron smiled, glad that Dennis seemed so eager. "We want you to do some, er, background research for us on Rita Skeeter for an investigative report. If we have enough information, we might present it as an article for Mr. Lovegood to publish."

Luna nodded. "And of course, you'll get credit for your help with the story."

"I will?" Dennis asked, surprised. This would look great on his resume if things worked out right.

"But Dennis, we have to get proof of whatever you find out. That's where we'll need you to take some pictures or something," Ron added.

Dennis nodded. It made sense. "Do you have a deadline in mind?"

"Let's agree to meet next week. But if you find something before that, just let us know and we'll schedule an earlier meeting," Luna suggested.

"But if anyone asks, just tell them we asked you to help us with some surprise or whatnot for our wedding," Ron added.

Dennis readily agreed, ideas already spinning in his head on how to get started. Luna beamed and waved him off. "That wasn't too bad," Ron remarked when they were alone again.

Luna sighed and leaned against his shoulder. "That's a good idea. We should plan a surprise."

Ron looked a little wary. "What kind of surprise?"

She shrugged and changed the subject instead. "You ready to go eat?"

.oOoOo.

Hermione was relieved to discover that dinner was actually quite pleasant. Conversation, which centered around Ron and Luna's wedding and Hermione's recent potions research, flowed easily. Draco seemed to be genuinely interested in learning more about Hermione's family life, as well as some of the differences and similarities between a muggle and wizard upbringing.

To both Draco's and Hermione's surprise, Mr. Granger brought up Draco's successful business ventures and actually complimented Draco on his business acumen. Pleased with the show of effort Benedick was exhibiting, Emily leaned forward and patted her husband's arm. "Your father's been keeping up with the financial section of your newspaper, Hermione. It's a sort of hobby of ours now."

"It's not all that different from our own business practices, when you think about it," Mr. Granger acknowledged.

"We should talk and compare notes," Draco remarked. Mrs. Granger agreed and posed some questions that she'd been curious about concerning a recent article she found on the increase in price of potions ingredients and its effect on health care costs.

Hermine couldn't be happier with the way things were going. She almost forgot that Draco wasn't her real boyfriend, and that sudden reminder made her incredibly sad. It had been a long time since she was able to comfortably bring someone home to her parents, and when it finally happened, it was with someone who really didn't want to be with her in that way. Sure they snogged a little, but that didn't really mean anything to him, right?

Draco frowned at Hermione's abrupt silence and the stricken expression that briefly crossed her face. What could possibly be wrong? He thought he was doing pretty well with her parents. When the Grangers were distracted by a debate over another news piece, he reached under the table and grasped her hand in comfort. Whatever it was, he hoped his encouragement brought her out of her mood.

Hermione was touched by Draco's thoughtfulness, which of course made her feel even worse about the state of her love life. She held on tightly to his hand for a brief moment before releasing it. She checked her watch and realized it was about time to go. The night wasn't over yet, and she still needed to make an appearance tonight for Harry and Ginny's homecoming.

Observing his daughter's sudden skittishness, Mr. Granger smiled. "Hermione's getting antsy, so I think it's about that time that she needs to get going. Honey, do you remember gymnastics lessons that one summer? Hermione used to bounce in her seat hours before practice, afraid she wouldn't be on time. We used to call it her little jumping bean dance."

"Dad!" Hermione was mortified. "I was six!"

"Well you were an adorable six-year-old," Mrs. Granger countered.

"Gymnastics? Were you any good?" Draco asked, smiling at the thought of a young Hermione doing those leaps and jumps he'd seen once. "Did you do those moves that they do in the – what do you call it – Orlintis?"

"Well, same concept as the Olympics, but no, I was nothing like that. We mostly did rolls and cartwheels and things," Hermione replied. "It was still quite fun."

"So why did you stop? I assume you stopped, anyway," Draco added. He thought he might have heard about it a little sooner if she had continued with the practice.

"A little girl got seriously hurt doing a move she wasn't properly trained for and that got her mother and I worried over the level of care Hermione was receiving," Benedick replied.

Emily joined in. "I agree, they should have had someone watching her. She shouldn't even have been anywhere near that equipment, especially not alone."

Hermione shrugged. "It didn't matter to me much, anyway. It was more of a summer hobby to me than a serious sport. I remember the next summer I was just as enthusiastic with piano lessons."

"Piano lessons are much tamer than gymnastics," Draco observed.

Hermione grinned. "It was only because they didn't agree with me that seven-year-olds are perfectly capable of taking up archery as a sport. That year I read this muggle story called _Robin Hood_ and it made me want to be just like him. It's probably one of the reasons why I wanted to be in Gryffindor."

"I've never heard of this story, but I'd like to read it," Draco replied.

Hermione agreed to lend him her copy. She realized that she had gotten distracted from the time and soon the two were on their way out the door. Hermione thanked her parents for a lovely meal, while Draco promised to have her parents over soon to return the favor. Mr. and Mrs. Granger had enjoyed themselves and welcomed Draco back any time.

"So what did you think?" Hermione asked a little nervously during the drive back home.

"I liked them," Draco admitted. "If you had come from a magical background, I think our family lives might have been similar," he acknowledged.

Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? I don't know about that."

"I mean in basic upbringing," Draco explained. "You have to admit you come from a privileged background, even if you don't flaunt it."

"I've never thought about it," Hermione said offhandedly.

"If you're free next Friday, you should come for dinner with me at my mother's," Draco remarked. "She asked about it earlier, but things have come up."

"Sure," Hermione said cautiously. "So what's a typical dinner like in the Malfoy household?"

"Well, my mother's not a cook like your mother is, but I think you'll enjoy it."

They arrived back at the garage and Hermione turned to face Draco once the car was parked. "Well, I'm off to join my friends. It's just a little get-together since Harry and Ginny are back from vacation. Would you like to come?"

Draco smiled at the offer, but turned down the offer. "I'd like to, but I'd better not. I should stop in and see my mother, since I missed dinner."

Hermione frowned. "I completely forgot about your weekly dinners. You should have said something. I could have talked to my parents about having dinner on Saturday instead."

"I didn't think it would be a good idea to postpone with your parents again after having waited for so long already," Draco replied. "Besides, I'm off to see her now, so it's fine."

"Well, we are going to be at _The Quarter Note_ if you change your mind. Gin's singing tonight. Actually, you should bring your mother. She might enjoy it. Ginny's very talented, if I do say so myself," Hermione offered.

"You know, I might do that. I was thinking of suggesting to my mother that she approach Ginny about singing for some of the events that my mother puts together. Do you think Ginny would be interested?"

"I guess it depends on what she's singing for," Hermione replied with a shrug. "Except for Ron and Luna's big day, I'm sure she wouldn't be into singing for weddings or anything, but if it's a big enough event, she might be willing to listen to an offer."

"Good. I'll pose the question to my mother, then," Draco said with some satisfaction.

* * *

**A/N: **Didn't it all sound a little boring to you? I'm tempted to re-write the whole thing over again, but that would take me even longer, and I didn't want you to have to wait. Hopefully you guys stay with me as I work to improve the next chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:**Nothing you recognize fromthe _Harry Potter_ books and movies belongs to me!

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait. My muse left me and I wrote myself into a corner. I still don't know how I'm going to write my way out of it, but fingers crossed that something comes to me as I write. Below is a brief summary of what's been going on the last couple of chapters, though feel free to re-read previous chapters to refresh your memory.

_**Previously...**_

_On Thursday, Hermione struggles with the public attention on her private life as well as emerging feelings for Draco that she feels are improper given their situation. Pansy dropped in on Draco for an unexpected visit and she and Hermione are growing to be friends. They even have plans to meet for some baby shopping. On Friday evening, Hermione and Draco had dinner with Hermione's parents, while Harry and Ginny made some type of deal with Imelda Quinby to give Hermione some space. Ron and Luna have asked Dennis Creevey to do some "background research" on Rita Skeeter for them. Late that same evening, Hermione has plans to meet with her friends for their weekly get together at _The Quarter Note_. Now on with the story..._

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Was it just her imagination, or was this a beautiful night? Hermione was in good spirits as she apparated to Diagon Alley and made the short trek to _The Quarter Note_ that evening. Hermione was typically not a fan of apparating, but it was convenient, and she was running a little late. There were several couples still milling about, but now the sight of them didn't give Hermione pangs of envy. She passed another couple holding hands, and her thoughts wandered back to Draco again.

The effort that he made with her parents over dinner gave Hermione some hope that perhaps he did have some feelings for her after all. She blushed recalling that kiss they shared last week. He never mentioned it again, so it made Hermione wonder whether he really meant it. She wished there was someone she could confide in, but who was there to tell? Her friends thought Draco was her real boyfriend and Hermione didn't feel comfortable enough yet with Pansy to share those types of feelings.

Hermione was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't see Narcissa and Pansy heading her way until she very nearly ran into them. "Miss Granger, I highly recommend you watch where you're going," Narcissa said with some amusement.

"Hello Hermione, how was dinner? Did Draco behave himself?" Pansy greeted cheerfully.

"Narcissa, Pansy, I didn't expect to see you here," Hermione greeted. "Draco was great. I think my parents really like him."

"Draco's always been great with parents," Pansy remarked. "Mine were so disappointed that things didn't work out between us."

"He's definitely a charmer," Hermione agreed.

"Where is my son?" Narcissa wondered aloud. "I would have thought that he'd still be with you."

"He might be wondering the same thing about you," Hermione replied with a smile. "He said he was stopping by the manor to spend some time with you."

Pansy shrugged. "We left a note to tell Draco where we were, so he'll probably wander into Diagon Alley soon."

"Well, I'm headed to _The Quarter Note_ to meet my friends. Would you like to join us?" Hermione invited.

Narcissa smiled. "We'd be delighted. _The Quarter Note_ was actually our destination this evening."

"Great, let's go," Pansy beamed. The three reached the night club's doors in no time and Hermione was surprised by the warm welcome from her friends. Even Harry seemed to be amenable to Narcissa and Pansy joining their group. Hermione was a little nervous at first about whether Narcissa would be fine in a group of people her son's age, but she soon realized that there was nothing to worry about. Narcissa rarely looked uncomfortable in any setting.

The group moved to a larger table and were just getting settled when Ginny was introduced. Narcissa was quite impressed and drew Harry into a conversation about Ginny's musical background and whether she might be interested in performing for private parties and other events. Pansy, too, was having a great time and had nothing but positive things to say about Ginny's talents. She and Ron also chatted about children. Ron was quite enthusiastic about the subject, and his arms flailed numerous times, nearly knocking over his drink. Hermione really shouldn't have been surprised by Ron's interest, considering the size of his family. The boys' distraction gave Hermione and Luna the opportunity to carry on a whispered conversation about Draco and her parents, and Luna was delighted for her friend. Hermione kept a careful eye on the door throughout the evening and couldn't suppress her happiness when Draco finally made an appearance.

"Mother, I was wondering where you were," Draco greeted as he approached the happy group. He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and squeezed Hermione's shoulder. He politely acknowledged the rest of the group, and Hermione was surprised when Harry also made an effort to be civil.

"Malfoy, please join us," Harry invited. He even pulled up another chair and scooted over so that Draco could sit next to Hermione.

"Thank you," Draco replied. If he was surprised, he hid his expression well.

"So Malfoy, I hear you had dinner with the Grangers," Harry said politely.

Draco nodded. "They're very nice people. I enjoyed myself."

Hermione smiled. "You did great. I think you made a good impression on my parents."

"I don't know. I think I still have a black mark with your father considering all the trouble it's taken to schedule a dinner. I didn't realize how full my schedule's gotten." Draco flagged down a waiter over to order a drink for himself and, noting his mother's and Pansy's empty cups, a cocktail for his mother, and something safe for Pansy.

Harry carefully observed how Malfoy automatically ordered for his mother and friend and that they let him, as though they expected him to do so. He noticed Hermione calling the waiter back to order another appetizer for the group as she simultaneously spelled Ron's drink further away from him just before he threatened to knock his glass with a flail of his arm. Ron accepted Hermione's proffered napkin without thinking as Luna asked Hermione to add to the order. Hermione complied and scanned the table and her friends to make sure she didn't forget to do anything to add to everyone's comfort.

All of this made Harry wonder what a date with just the two of them would be like. It would be nice for someone to take care of Hermione for a change, and it would be a foreign concept for Malfoy to have someone do the same for him. Gin would have had a few choice words to say to him if Harry ever tried to order for her as though it was his right. It had been a long time since the war and Draco had obviously changed. He was no longer the bitter, tense wizard he was back then. Harry decided that he liked the changes, and it was very like Hermione to notice such things before the rest of them gave it much thought. Harry looked up to find Luna staring at him, giving him a knowing smile. He returned the smile and shrugged.

Ginny announced a break just then, so all thoughts of Hermione and Draco's relationship were forgotten when Narcissa asked to meet Ginny. Harry was happy to oblige, so the two were soon off to meet with Ginny backstage. Pansy, noting the lateness of the hour, decided to take her leave, having promised Alec that she would go to bed at a reasonable hour. "Hermione, are we still on for tomorrow morning?" Pansy, asked. "You should come for breakfast. We can shop after. Luna, you and Ginny are more than welcome to join us."

Luna agreed and they all waved as they watched her take her leave. Draco offered to go with her, but Pansy was insistent that she needed no assistance in making her way back to Draco's home. Pansy's abandoned seat wasn't empty for long when Phillip Swinton, Luna's uncle, stopped by the table to greet his niece. "Well, I'm glad to see everyone enjoying themselves. Draco, welcome back," Phillip greeted.

Draco stood to shake Phillip's hand with a smile. "I have been enjoying myself, thank you."

Harry and Narcissa returned soon after and Hermione was surprised to see the warmth of the greeting between Mr. Swinton and Draco's mother. Hermione and her friends immediately turned to watch Draco's expression change from surprise, to displeasure, to openly hostile glares. Hermione, Ron, and Harry sent amused smiles Draco's way, while Narcissa pointedly ignored Draco during her exchange with Phillip. When Narcissa chose to leave with Luna's uncle not long after, Hermione had to grab hold of Draco's hand to keep him from following the couple.

"Draco, she's a grown witch. I'm pretty sure she knows what she's doing," Hermione said.

"That's my mother," Draco objected.

Ron nodded in agreement. "If that was my mother, I'd feel the same way, Malfoy."

Luna frowned. "Ron, do you think my uncle has inappropriate designs toward Mrs. Malfoy?"

"Not if he knows what's good for him," Draco threatened.

"Well, that's his mother, it's his right to watch out for her," Ron told Luna defensively.

"She didn't look to me like she minded whatever designs he had on her," Harry said with amusement. He received death glares from Draco for his trouble.

Ron decided a change of subject was in order. "Now that the two of you are here, we wanted to talk to you about the Rita Skeeter problem."

Luna nodded and shared with Draco and Hermione the efforts that the two of them had gone to on their behalf. Harry also shared news about his new agreement with Imelda Quinby.

Hermione didn't know what to say, but was touched by her friends' support. "Guys, I can take care of myself, but I'm glad that you care."

"You've always done the same for us," Ron replied. Harry and Luna agreed.

Draco was happy for Hermione that she had her friends' loyalty, though he silently felt that their efforts were too much for what he thought of as a minor nuisance. But he supposed it was worth the effort for Hermione's peace of mind. Not long after, Ginny's set was over and she happily joined the table.

Ginny greeted her husband with a quick kiss and nudged him to scoot over so that they could share his seat. "Did you hear the news? Draco, you mother's gotten me a great opportunity!"

Draco returned her smile. "You're quite talented. I'm surprised you haven't already been approached."

"Well, I only started singing seriously this year. I'm still working on my voice," Ginny replied modestly.

"So are you setting up some kind of agreement with Mrs. Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"Narcissa says she knows of some people who might be interested in listening to Gin," Harry revealed proudly.

Everyone enthusiastically congratulated her and drinks were brought 'round to celebrate. Someone thrust a drink in Draco's hand and he joined in the toast to Ginny's good fortune. Draco didn't know what to say to their obvious offer of friendship, so he didn't say anything at all. Suddenly he regretted that all of this would go away once the wedding was over and his agreement with Hermione was done. He glanced in Hermione's direction, and, when she noticed his attention, smiled shyly up at him. Maybe there was a chance that it didn't have to all go away.

His musings were interrupted when Ginny drew Hermione back into the conversation. "So Hermione, how are your parents?" she asked.

"My parents are fine. For the most part, Dad was on his best behavior," Hermione replied. "But Draco handled himself well."

"Better him than me. Your Dad's tough," Ron admitted.

Ginny giggled. "I still remember Ron's first dinner with your dad." Ron glowered at Ginny and Draco just smirked.

"He's just protective," Hermione defended. Ron snorted at that and Luna playfully hit him.

"Well, he can't be as bad as Harry's been," Ginny replied.

"What?" Harry protested. "I haven't said a word."

"Just wait until you have your own kids," Luna said knowingly. "They'd never date anyone."

"Don't start," Ginny groaned. "Mum's been hinting at us for grandchildren already."

Harry laughed. "She took me aside last we spoke and told me that if I was having problems in that department, she knew of a good healer I should see." Ron was scandalized and loudly proclaimed his opinions concerning any conversation that remotely related to his mother and sex in the same sentence.

Draco scoffed. "My mother wouldn't even bother telling me to see a healer. She'd just find out what spell she should use to take care of the problem and handle it herself."

"Yes, your mother does seem to be the type to be more 'hands on' about such things," Hermione mused.

"What, you don't think your mother would talk to you?" Luna asked, amused.

Hermione shrugged. "She would tell me it was meant to be, or maybe have me try some muggle alternatives." Hermione tried to explain the in vitro fertilization process, but Ron and Draco were so scandalized, that they both forced her to stop. Even Harry looked a little green.

Draco shook his head. "The things muggles do without magic."

"It's barbaric is what it is," Ron objected.

"I don't know why you're being such babies about it. It's not like you're the ones who are trying to get pregnant," Ginny countered.

Luna smiled. "My father says that men were once able to bear children, but over the centuries, they forgot how. Maybe if we just remind them, women getting pregnant won't be such a problem."

Harry shivered. "That's worse than that in vitro thing Hermione was talking about."

Hermione stifled a yawn. "I doubt men would try very hard to get pregnant even if they could. They'd still leave it up to the women."

"That's just because you're better at it," Draco responded. Hermione simply smiled and used his shoulder as a pillow. So Draco suggested that he escort her home and Hermione nodded tiredly in agreement. They said their good-byes and Luna promised to meet Hermione at her place in the morning. Ginny, who had been informed of the next day's baby shopping excursion, promised to try to make it if she could.

By now, Draco was keyed into Hermione's wards, so it was safe to apparate directly into Hermione's front room. The two walked a few feet away from the nightclub's front doors before attempting a side-along apparation. When they reached their destination, Hermone reluctantly let go of his arm. Although she wanted Draco to stay for a bit, Hermione truly was quite tired, so rather than asking Draco to stay for some tea or coffee, she thanked him instead for the escort home.

"I had a good time tonight," Draco admitted. "You're lucky to have your family and friends."

"I like yours, too. Pansy's so different than what I thought she would be. And your mother's really very nice," Hermione returned.

"I should get going," Draco said then. Hermione nodded and waited for Draco to either apparate home or walk in the direction of her floo. He surprised her by leaning down for a kiss instead. His lips were still slightly cold from the outdoors and Hermione felt very safe as she was pulled into his arms. Draco ended the kiss, and Hermione watched as he hesitated before speaking. "Do you want to have dinner tomorrow night? I want to talk about our agreement."

Hermione was a little surprised, but agreed. Talk of their agreement was the last thing she thought Draco would bring up. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."

Draco grinned. "Good. Tomorrow. I'll make dinner."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You can cook?"

"Okay, my elves will make dinner," Draco amended. Hermione smirked and he laughed. "Maybe you can teach me."

"I think it will be a good experience for you," she said. She walked him to the floo and he left with a smile.

.oOoOo.

The next morning, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny all made their way by floo to Draco's home, where Pansy was still staying. They were greeted by loud laughter, a crashing sound, and the pitter patter of happy feet.

"Mommy! There's more people in the fire!" a young girl's voice proclaimed.

"Hazel, didn't Mummy already tell you to keep away from the floo?" Pansy chided as she went to greet their guests.

"Someone catch that mutt!" Draco demanded. Ah, so that was the source of the happy feet. Hermione smiled as they exchanged hugs with Pansy.

Another loud crash. "Hazel, I told you to leave Aragorn at home," another male's voice called from another room. "Gotcha you flea-bitten mutt," he said a moment later in triumph.

"Come on in, this is my daughter Hazel and I want you to meet my husband Alec."

Hazel started to pout. "Aragorn does _not_ have fleas!"

"Daddy was just teasing," Pansy assured her daughter.

The girls were taken to the dining room where a tall, broad-shouldered man was fighting with a struggling puppy, while Draco was directing elves to clean up the broken dishes and re-make breakfast. Hazel shrieked and ran forward to free her pet from her father's arms. Exhausted, Pansy leaned back against the table and accidentally knocked another bowl to the floor. "Oops!"

Ginny grinned. "It's just like being home for a Weasley Christmas," she declared. The girls felt right at home amidst the chaos and took their seats.

.oOoOo.

They were all laughing at him. He knew it. Furious over the humiliation, Adrian vowed that the Malfoys would pay for their insult. And while he was at it, he should do a good deed and take back Hermione, too. Poor confused Hermione just didn't understand that she was being manipulated by those two. It was obvious that Hermione had lost her way ever since he broke up with her and he needed to set her straight again.

But he needed a plan, and he wasn't so good at plans. He knew he needed allies, though, and Eloise Midgeon was the right witch for the job. Like all females, Eloise couldn't be trusted, and Adrian wasn't going to approach Midgeon until he knew her weaknesses and had a little something he could blackmail her with in case their deal went awry. Someone told him she could often be found wandering around the restaurant in Malfoy's new hotel, and he wanted to know why.

There was a bar at this restaurant, so Adrian took a seat and ordered a drink as he waited for Midgeon to make an appearance. He didn't have to wait long and saw his target approaching a table with a dark-haired gentleman and a thin, leggy blond. Neither looked happy to see her, but still made room for her in their booth. Eloise was obviously here for business this time, because she waved the waiter away without ordering anything, and she pulled some slip of paper from her purse. Adrian tried to lean in closer for a better look, but he couldn't see much from his position at the bar.

The man shoved the paper into his pocket and drew a wand. Eloise, however, was also prepared. The leggy blond was actually on her side, and they both drew wands on him. The other woman whispered something into the man's ear before confidently leaving the restaurant with Midgeon. Once they were out of sight, the man shakily gulped down his drink, paid his bill, and left. Adrian paid for his drink, too, and was on the man's tails. Something was definitely going on, and Adrian wanted in on it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** The world and characters of the _Harry Potter_ books belong to the talented JK Rowling.

**A/N:** As always I appreciate every review and every story/author alert. Thanks for reading and sticking with me. A brief summary appears below, but as always, feel free to skim the previous chapter(s) to refresh your memory.

_**Previously...**_

_Hermione and Draco are really starting to connect as they meet with friends and family at The Quarter Note. Ginny is excited about working with Narcissa to further her career, while Draco is mildly alarmed by the closeness of the friendship between his mother and Luna's uncle. Hermione and her girlfriends get to meet Pansy's family for the first time. Meanwhile, Adrian is scheming to get Hermione back, while Eloise is up to no good._

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The sound of grunts and the smell of sweat permeated the air. Adrian was at the gym as was his typical morning routine during the off-season. A pretty witch with long dark hair was choosing from a rack of free weights that was located close to where he was working out, so he made a point of flexing a little more and exaggerating his movements as he completed his reps. She ignored his efforts, much to his dissatisfaction, so he mentally shrugged and decided she wasn't worth his time. He thought back on what little he learned last night.

The man that Eloise Midgeon had been talking to promptly disappeared the moment he paid his bill, so Adrian couldn't find out much more about him. The waiter had already been bribed to keep his identity secret, so that avenue was out, too. Although the guy looked vaguely familiar, Adrian couldn't recall where he might have seen him before. Eloise, likewise, was nowhere to be found after the incident. Disappointed that he'd lost them both, Adrian went to his usual bar near Knockturn Alley. Surprisingly, the woman companion who was in Midgeon's company earlier that night happened to enter his bar and took a seat just two stools away from him.

Curious, Adrian approached her and turned on the charm. A few drinks later and a trip back to her place revealed that she worked with Eloise to trap rich, married men into extramarital affairs. After gathering proof, the witches bribed the philandering husbands for money to keep the secret away from their wives and the press. Eloise's societal connections combined with the other woman's beauty gave the witches an agreeable partnership that provided a little extra cash.

Adrian dropped the weights he was using to the floor and grinned at the same pretty witch just as she was passing him by. Obviously, she must not have seen him earlier, because now she seemed disarmed by his smile and tentatively smiled back. She didn't linger, but he caught her glancing in his direction as she walked away. Adrian thought about approaching her for a lunch date, but suddenly remembered that he already had one with the blond from last night. The blond wasn't his usual type, he thought cynically, but it was a good idea to keep her close. After all, there had to be a way for him to use their little scheme to his own advantage.

.oOoOo.

Just as Hermione expected, breakfast was a happy affair. She and Luna chose to skip the meal and sip on juice and tea instead, since they both had already eaten before arriving at Draco's home. Alec decided that it would be prudent for Aragorn to frolic outside in Draco's rooftop garden for the duration of their stay. Once the puppy was captured and out of the way of breakable objects, the morning chaos calmed down considerably. Ginny got along famously with Pansy's husband, who also came from a large family. They shared similar childhood stories, while Pansy amused them with memories of her first experiences with the Ferguson clan.

Hermione watched as Hazel scooped up a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. Swallowing quickly, she leaned forward. "Uncle Draco! You need sausages," she said decisively, and then proceeded to feed her sausages to him.

"Thank you, Hazel, but shouldn't you have some, too?" Draco responded.

Hazel frowned and pushed her sausages away. She obviously did _not _like sausages for breakfast. Hermione watched as Draco politely thanked Hazel for the sausages and then offered her his bacon. He leaned forward to whisper something into her ear, which caused Hazel to scrunch up her shoulders and giggle. Hermione's attention was pulled away from the scene then when Ginny called her name to suggest that they begin to head out for the day.

"Alec says my parents are going to be in town this afternoon and we'd like to take Hazel over for a visit," Pansy explained.

Alec announced that he was taking Hazel and Aragorn for a trip to the park. Draco was invited to join them, of course, but he regretfully had to decline, claiming that work called his attention. The girls gathered their coats and things, while Alec and Pansy hunted down Hazel's stray shoe and scarf. Hermione was the first to be ready, so she headed Draco's way while she waited for her friends.

"You work too much," she told him. "I'm a workaholic, too, but even I give myself most weekends off."

Draco offered a small smile. "As you should know, it's not really work if you find it fun," he told her. He suddenly looked serious. "I'm still seeing you tonight for dinner, aren't I?"

Hermione nodded. "I'll be here. Should I bring anything? I can pick up dessert or something."

Stepping closer, Draco gently pulled her arm close and kissed her palm. "Your presence is more than enough," he assured her. It looked like he wanted to say more, but they weren't alone. Her heart fluttered and she suddenly couldn't wait for dinner.

.oOoOo.

The day went by in a blur for Hermione, who couldn't think of anything but her first "real" date with Draco. Since leaving him this morning, doubts and negative thoughts raced through her mind. What did this mean? How did Draco feel about her? Where was their friendship (relationship?) going? If she asked Draco all of these questions, would he respond honestly, and was she really ready to listen to his answers? Would she believe him? She hated feeling so vulnerable, but at the same time, it was nice to be thinking about a potential relationship. She was so confused.

Pansy had to leave early, so she left just after lunch time. Hermione, Ginny, and Luna stopped at a small bakery nearby for drinks and dessert. Hermione bought a muffin, but spent more time destroying it than eating it.

"Hermione, what's on your mind?" Ginny asked.

"Draco, of course," Luna replied sunnily.

Hermione sent her friends a wry smile. "She's right."

"You look pensive. What's up?" Ginny asked. "Is everything all right?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione admitted. "We're having dinner tonight and he wants to talk about our relationship. It sounds pretty serious."

"Well, he's met your friends," Luna began.

"He's met your _parents_," Ginny added with emphasis.

"You've met his friends. Well, you met Pansy. And you already know his mother. So I think it's going to be a good talk," Luna replied.

"Do you really think so?" Hermione said uncertainly. Ginny frowned and silently blamed Pucey again for bringing that extra level of caution to Hermione's eyes.

"Why wouldn't it? So where is he taking you?" Luna asked.

"It's at his place. He joked that he would try cooking," Hermione said, smiling at the memory.

Luna and Ginny exchanged knowing glances. "I think it's going to be a _very_ good conversation," Ginny assured.

"You need a new dress!" Luna exclaimed. She grabbed her friends' hands and soon they were out the door headed to a local boutique.

Thirty minutes later, Hermione was staring at her reflection, wondering where the rest of the outfit went. "This isn't a dress, it's lingerie!"

Luna shook her head. "It's perfectly decent."

"It's too cold for a silk dress with no back," Hermione insisted, tugging at the straps.

Ginny ran forward, holding a pair of sandals with four-and-a-half-inch heels. "Forget the dress, buy the shoes!"

Luna leaned forward eagerly. "Ooh, what colors do they have?"

Hermione was appalled. "I'm not wearing those, I'll trip after taking two steps."

"Draco will catch you," Ginny countered. "Now try these on. I had to fight some undeserving witch for your size."

Hermione reluctantly stepped into the instruments of torture and paused. They all stared at her feet. "Okay, I'll buy the shoes," Hermione said after a moment. Luna and Ginny fervently agreed, then asked her if they could take turns borrowing them when she was done.

.oOoOo.

No one told him recipes came in code. That afternoon, Draco talked to his house elves and learned from them where food came from. Armed with a parchment of recipes and directions to the market, he arrived at his destination. But after staring at the shelves, Draco was confused. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Hermione wouldn't really expect him to try making her anything anyway.

Draco turned to leave and just his luck, literally ran into Harry. "Potter, better watch where you're going," Draco advised.

"Malfoy?" Harry's eyes widened. "What are doing here?"

"Nothing," Draco said defensively and stuffed his parchment into his pocket.

Harry shook his head. He would have bet money that people with Malfoy's kind of money wouldn't even know that food didn't magically appear out of thin air, but he supposed he was wrong. Draco pretended to peruse the shelves, while Harry stood there awkwardly. "So, er, do you need any help there, Malfoy?" Harry thought Draco would refuse his offer.

But Malfoy seemed to come to some sort of decision, because he straightened his shoulders, pulled out the parchment from his pocket, and stuffed it into Harry's hands. "Yes, you can translate that for me. Because I need 4 Flozz Cream, 2 six Ozz Steaks, and 1 Tisp Chives, but I don't see any of those here. I've never even heard of Flozz Cream or Tisp Chives, and I'm pretty sure the house elves meant to tell me to get Ox Steak, not Oz Steak. I've never had a 6-Ox steak, but it's got to be good, right?"

Harry blinked. "What?"

Draco frowned impatiently. "It's all on that parchment."

Harry grinned. "Malfoy, how did you pass potions if you've never heard of a fluid ounce? And 'tsp' is short for teaspoon, by the way."

Draco grabbed the paper back from Harry. "Why didn't they just say so?" Draco complained. "How can 'oz' be short for ounce? There's not even a 'z' in the word. It must be a house elf thing."

Harry laughed. "Well, good luck with that." He was about to walk away when Draco called him back.

"You've done this sort of thing before, haven't you?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"You mean shop for food? Cook? Yeah, I've done some. Had to cook for my aunt, uncle, and cousin. But I haven't much since then. Why? Do you need some pointers?"

"If you're not too busy," Draco said casually.

Harry shook his head. He never thought the day would come when Draco would ask for help on anything, much less something menial like cooking. "I'd better call Ron, then."

"Why?" Draco asked with alarm.

"Because," Harry replied, still grinning, "I can cook the muggle way, but you'll need help on cooking with magic."

.oOoOo.

"Swish and flick, Draco. It's all in the wrist," Ron said two hours later.

Draco glared Ron's way. "So I'm Draco to you now?" There were potato bits splattered across the floor now after Draco lost concentration and dropped the potatoes that he was floating to a bowl.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "I can go back to calling you Malfoy if you want."

"Draco's fine," he groused. "Just help me get through this in one piece." His house elves weren't sure what to do with themselves when the boys insisted on taking over the kitchen. The two elves were also quite upset over the messy state of the room. The whimpers were driving Draco mad, so he was forced to order the elves away from the kitchen until after the meal was ready.

Unsure of how well he'd do the first time around, Draco had decided to purchase six steaks and try three different marinades. Whichever two turned out best would be the ones he'd serve for dinner. "Hey Ron, do you think we used enough onion in this one?" Harry asked as he poked one of the marinating steaks with some tongs.

Ron joined Harry at the kitchen counter and rubbed his chin. "I dunno. Malfoy, what do you think?"

"How should I know?" Draco said, but he approached the two anyway. "Maybe it needs salt," he suggested uncertainly. People salted their steaks, didn't they?

"Hmm. We could try it," Harry agreed.

"Boy, all of this is making me hungry," Ron stated.

"You and Harry can have whichever steaks I don't use for dinner," Draco told them. That cheered Ron up considerably, and they set about getting the rest of dinner prepared. The rest of the meal didn't turn out too bad, all things considered. Draco wouldn't be serving any rolls, since Harry burned them all by accident, and the asparagus were only slightly overcooked. That was Draco's fault, since he was supposed to be watching them.

They also had to make more potatoes after Draco's earlier incident, but Ron decided to take over the task. "Wouldn't want you to drop the last of these, too, would ya? You already lost the bread," Ron chuckled. Draco threw a burnt roll at him, which Ron promptly ducked.

Harry was ready for it, though, and smashed Ron with two more rolls. Harry had a great view of his friend from his position on the other side of the kitchen, so one of the rolls caught Ron directly on the forehead. "Ha! That's for talking about my rolls."

"Oi! No fair, two against one," Ron protested, and threw the rolls back. "How are the steaks coming, Malfoy?" He turned back to the counter and zapped the potatoes with a nifty spell he learned from his mum. In no time at all the potatoes were cooked and ready to be served.

"Done," Draco announced.

The last of the steaks was now resting on the platter and the mouthwatering aroma had them all proud of their accomplishment. Ron and Harry helped Draco choose which steaks Hermione might like, and took the rest. Ron invited Draco to join them for dinner or drinks or whatever later in the week. Draco agreed and thanked them both for their help before Ron left by floo.

"Good luck tonight," Harry told Draco seriously before stepping into the floo.

Draco nodded his thanks and shook Harry's proffered hand before he left. Draco shook his head in surprise before changing for dinner. His house elves were relieved to get their kitchen back and got to work cleaning the mess the boys left behind.

.oOoOo.

Hermione stared at Draco's front door nervously. She apparated directly from home so that she wouldn't need to bring a coat, though the hallway to his penthouse was slightly chilly. She hoped she was dressed appropriately. She and the girls had decided on a very simple black silk sheathe that dipped into a relatively modest v-neck at the front and dropped to a deep cowl at the back. The real highlight were the shoes, which were created by a muggle designer. The mirrored leather boasted intricate curves, a double ankle buckle, and made her feet feel delicate.

The door suddenly opened, startling Hermione out of her reverie. She smiled when she saw that it was Draco who had answered the door. She was relieved to see he was wearing nice dress robes. "Hi," she greeted nervously.

Draco grinned. "Wow, you look great. Come in." He stepped back and subtly took a whiff of Hermione's delicate perfume as she stepped through the entryway. As he escorted her to his dining room, he asked about her day.

"Pansy is exhausting," Hermione admitted. "I thought pregnant women were supposed to tire easily. We didn't buy much, but it was fun looking. How was yours? Did you get a lot of work done?"

"Not quite," Draco replied as they reached the table. He helped her to her seat before taking his own.

Hermione looked at the imperfect legumes, spotted the famous Weasley potatoes and smiled. "You cooked?"

"I had help," Draco was quick to add. "So I'm pretty sure nothing here will kill you. But if you don't like it, I have standing reservations at any of my restaurants."

Hermione was touched by his effort. "Let's eat." Draco kept her entertained with stories of his cooking escapades. Hermione couldn't stop laughing. "How did you get the boys to cook? Mrs. Weasley has been trying for years and they won't even touch a pot."

"You probably didn't have the right incentive," Draco told her with a charming smile.

"Blackmail?" Hermione guessed. "Because she's tried that."

Draco shook his head. "It's got to be for the right girl."

She didn't know what to say, so she changed the subject. "So, uh, you wanted to talk?" She put down her wine glass.

"Listen, about this charade? I don't want to pretend anymore," Draco began.

Hermione's heart stopped at those words. "What do you mean?" She whispered.

"I want more than a fake relationship with you," he continued. "I didn't realize how empty my life had become until I met you. I'd like to pursue a real relationship with you, if that's what you want." Draco looked intently in Hermione's direction. She was speechless. Draco shook his head. "I don't want to pressure you into anything, but I had to let you know. I don't want to dance around the subject anymore. If you don't feel the same, I understand, but I thought I needed to tell you how I felt."

"I feel the same way about you, too," Hermione replied after a moment. "I just didn't think you'd ever like me like that. I know I'm not your usual type, and I don't know. I didn't want to get hurt."

Draco grabbed her hand. "That's ridiculous. I didn't know what I wanted until I met you. And you know I'd never intentionally hurt you."

Hermione smiled. "Then yes, I'd love to be your girlfriend." She pulled him forward for a kiss.

* * *

**A/N:** So I really strugged with that last scene...I was trying to cut down on the fluff, but I didn't really succeed. (Although I guess in a way I did if I had used even half of the dialogue I had written in previous versions of this chapter). Again, sorry for the long wait!


	17. Chapter 17 Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** The world and characters of the _Harry Potter_ books belong to the talented JK Rowling.

**A/N:** Well, all good things come to an end. I felt that _Wedding Charade_ deserved an epilogue of some kind to sort of wrap up the story. I know it's been a while, so I highly recommend that you go back and re-read previous chapters to refresh your memory. Thanks for sticking with this story and I hope you've enjoyed reading it!

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Draco decided that he looked ridiculously pale in yellow, but then again, it wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter. He felt a slight tug at his sleeve and turned just as Hermione reached his side. He automatically grasped her hand and she kissed his cheek in greeting.

"Wasn't that a beautiful wedding?" Hermione couldn't stop smiling. "I can't believe that the day's finally here. It feels like we've been planning this one forever."

"I think it's because we have," Draco replied wryly.

Hermione shrugged. "At least things went off without a hitch."

A few months ago there was some fear that the wedding wouldn't happen at all after Adrian Pucey went public with some fake photos of Hermione and Ron having an affair behind Luna's back. Pucey might have been able to get away with that if he and Midgeon didn't get greedy and try to blackmail Draco and his mother regarding some questionable business dealings that Lucius had made in the past. Naturally, the Malfoys had excellent attorneys and the matter was cleared up quickly. Pucey and Midgeon weren't going to cause any more trouble now that they had the Ministry breathing down their necks.

"Shouldn't you be celebrating with your friends?" Draco watched as Harry and Ginny exchanged hugs and kisses with the newlywed couple.

"_Our_ friends," Hermione corrected him. Draco smiled. It would take him a little more time to get used to the sound of that. Who would have thought that they would be friends after all this time? "Anyway, I was just with them, but I was sent off to come and collect you," she continued.

"Oi! Malfoy, I hear congratulations are in order," Ron called out as the couple approached the group.

"That's right, Hermione's agreed to move in with me," Draco confirmed. Hermione blushed as she accepted hugs from her friends.

"So when will it be your turn to have one of these things?" Ginny teased.

Luna agreed. "Should we start planning now?"

"As soon as I can convince her to have me," Draco replied.

Hermione laughed. "Slow down, you're lucky I agreed to move in with you."

"I can't argue with that," Draco said with a grin. Draco slipped an arm around Hermione as they accepted further teasing from their friends.

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**A/N:** Well, that's it. Sorry if you didn't like the short, fluffy ending, but I thought it was an appropriate end to the story. I seriously considered extending this story at least another ten chapters or so, but I don't think it would work with this story, and probably was the reason behind the serious case of writer's block I've been having for the past year and a half. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed reading the story and hopefully I didn't disappoint too many of you.


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